France raises the risk level for bird flu from 'moderate' to 'high'

France has today -October 21- increased its risk level for avian influenza from 'moderate' to 'high' as a way to reinforce surveillance and prevention measures in response to the "infection dynamics" of migratory wild fauna in Europe and the confirmation of several outbreaks in France. This increase in the risk level was formalized with a decree from the Ministry published in the Official Journal, which details the surveillance, prevention, control, and vaccination measures against this disease. On October 14, another decree had already raised the risk level to 'moderate', with the system already including the mandatory culling of all animals on a farm where an outbreak was detected and movement restrictions. With the elevated risk, one of the main changes is that on farms with more than 50 birds, the animals must be kept under cover and their food and water protected to prevent access by migratory birds. New measures against contagious nodular dermatosis On October 17, the French ...