Avian influenza is a viral disease which is prevalent in birds, and whose mortality rate is very high in farmed birds (chickens, geese, etc.).
“While most avian viruses do not infect humans, some subtypes sometimes manage to cross the species barrier: this is the case of the H5N1 virus, pathogenic for humans and present in Asia. At present, the transmission of the virus is only from animals to humans, but the health authorities fear an evolution of the virus towards a form transmissible from human to human, opening the door to a pandemic”, according to the Institute. Pastor.
In a press release, issued on March 21, 2023, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques prefecture warns of the detection of the H5N1 virus (avian flu) on a gull. The case was detected on March 13 on a beach in Anglet. The prefecture thus announces the signing of a decree establishing health security measures.
The presence of the virus in the animal was confirmed on March 17 by the Ploufragan national reference laboratory.
In total, 30 Basque municipalities concerned are placed under heightened vigilance.
Avian flu: 30 municipalities under vigilance
The 30 Basque municipalities concerned are: Ahetze, Bayonne, Ciboure, Lahonce, Souraïde, Anglet, Espelette, Biarritz, Larressore, Urcuit, Arbonne, Bidart, Guéthary, Mouguerre, Urrugne, Arcangues, Boucau, Halsou, Saint-Jean-de-Luz , Urt, Ascain, Briscous, Hasparren, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Ustaritz, Bassussarry, Cambo-les-Bains, Jatxou, Saint-Pierre-d’Irube, Villefranque.
Vigilance measures will be reinforced in these areas concerning wildlife, such as poultry farming.
The prefecture also recalls that “between spring and autumn 2022, free wild avifauna was particularly concerned with a large number of infection events declared on the various French coasts. Three seabirds (gannets) had were thus found infected on the Basque coast in September 2022”.