Bulgaria's veterinary services have made the decision to cull 7,000 ducks from the village of Malak Dol due to an outbreak of bird flu. This outbreak is part of a larger epidemic that has been spreading across Europe and Asia in recent weeks. The strain of bird flu causing concern is often fatal to poultry but cannot be transmitted through food. France is currently dealing with eight outbreaks on farms, with seven of these occurring in the northern part of the country. The first cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 were reported in the Swan Rescue Center in Worcestershire, UK, in early November.