The places of discovery of the corpses of dead birds of avian influenza (black-headed gulls, barnacle geese, swans, even birds of prey) have systematically been subject to prefectural decrees and were placed in temporary control areas (ZCT) within a radius of 20 km. Within these perimeters, keepers of domestic birds and professional poultry farms must apply, for a minimum of 21 days, closure measuresreport to their veterinarian or to the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (DDPP) any abnormal mortality, limit movement poultry and ban gatherings of birds.
In mid-February, more than 350 Seine-et-Marnaise municipalities were thus included in a regulated perimeter, proving that the H5N1 virus was circulating widely throughout Seine-et-Marne and well beyond. A prefectural decree even included the entire department in a ZCT for an indefinite period. As soon as the health situation allows, this decree will be repealed.
A contaminated dead fox
last fall, two outbreaks of avian influenza had been demonstrated in farms at Favieres (farmyard) and Fontenailles (breeding game birds). Moreover, three foxes werefound dead February 10 at Congis-sur-Therouanne. One of them, collected by the OFB, beenconfirmed carrier of the H5N1 virus by the national reference laboratory (NRL). According to the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES), it is very likely that the infection of this fox is due to the scavenging of wild birds infected with this virus. Similar observations have already been made in Belgium and the United States.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the risk of transmission to humans is low and no human-to-human transmission has been reported to date. However, it is recommended that walkers and breeders do not handle dead birds and report them to the OFB, the Departmental Federation of Hunters (FDC) or the DDPP.
Read also I Avian flu: heightened vigilance
