Located in the commune of Camoël, “the farm concerned, which has 4,650 turkeys, has been depopulated”, that is to say euthanized, indicates a press release from the ministry. This is the second outbreak detected this season after the one reported on August 13, also in Brittany, in a poultry farm in Ille-et-Vilaine.
“A protection zone (3 km around the outbreak) and a surveillance zone (10 km) have been established by the prefect, in accordance with the regulations,” the ministry said after the discovery of this second outbreak.
These zonings are located in Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique. “In order to control the risk of spreading the virus, poultry movements are prohibited in these areas where health monitoring of farms is reinforced,” it was indicated.
Ministry calls for increased vigilance
No hypothesis has been formulated as to the origin of the virus. For the first outbreak, the main hypothesis put forward was that of contamination via wild fauna, the affected farm being located in an area where several cases had been observed in seabirds along the Breton coast.
The ministry reminds “all stakeholders in the sector”, from transporters to breeders and veterinarians, “of the need to maintain increased vigilance with regard to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by respecting in particular a strict application of biosecurity measures”, including for example the disinfection of boots, work clothes and tools, which can transmit the virus from one farm to another or by contact with the droppings of infected animals, wild or on farms.
A national duck vaccination campaign from October 1
The government announced on Tuesday that the national duck vaccination campaign would begin on October 1, with the state covering “70% of the costs generated by the first three months” of this 2024-25 campaign.
The renewal of the vaccination campaign was desired and expected by foie gras duck farmers after the successful one last year – only around ten outbreaks have been detected since autumn 2023.
Avian flu, which is more widespread in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, affected France from 2015 to 2017 and then almost continuously since the end of 2020. The country has euthanized tens of millions of poultry in recent years.
