New cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in swans, found dead on the territory of the municipality of Damvillers (Meuse), confirm a viral circulation in wild birds.
Consequently, an interdepartmental prefectoral decree has been issued to define a temporary control zone (ZCT), with a radius of 20 km around the place where the dead birds were found, impacting the departments of Meuse and Meurthe-et-Moselle, and within which sanitary measures are reinforced. This ZCT, which includes 13 communes in the department, is in addition to the one defined last week around Lake Madine.
From now on, 59 municipalities of Meurthe-et-Mosellelisted below, are concerned by the following measures:
- All owners of poultry and captive birds, both professionals and private individuals, are required to strictly respect biosecurity measures, in particular the sheltering of animals, the protection of their food and watering, and the cleaning and disinfection of outfits and equipment in the farm. Any mortality or abnormal clinical sign must be reported to the veterinary monitoring the farm or backyard.
- All places where poultry and captive birds are kept are subject to specific requirements, detailed on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty and accessible at the following address (here)
- In order to detect the appearance of the disease, a surveillance system is set up by means of self-checks in farms with more than 250 birds of all species and all types of production.
- Movements of poultry, including game birds, of all species and all stages of production, are also subject to self-checking.
- As regards the management of hunting activities in the temporary control zone, the applicable measures are
- The transport and release of game birds from farms in the temporary control zone is allowed under certain conditions.
- The movement and transport of game birds slaughtered in the temporary control area and their meat is prohibited.
- Restrictions on the movement and use of decoys are in place.
In order to limit the risks of spreading the infection, we remind you of the importance of strict compliance with biosecurity measures and increased surveillance by professionals, private owners of birds and hunters. Biosecurity measures are available here.
You are invited to report any clinical sign or mortality to the DDPP of Meurthe-et-Moselle ([email protected]) or to a veterinarian.
Regarding the recommendations for the general public, aiming at limiting the transmission of the virus between animals, the following recommendations should be respected
- Avoid contact with wild birds, including feathers and droppings.
- Do not touch or pick up wild, sick or dead birds.
- If you find a dead bird, do not touch or move it. It is necessary to report any bird found dead, especially wild waterfowl, to the town hall of the place of discovery or to the French Office of Biodiversity (OFB) at 06 99 21 94 43 or by email at [email protected]
As a reminder, the consumption of meat, foie gras and eggs, and more generally of any food product made from poultry, does not present any risk for humans.