Overview

• The French Ministry of Agriculture raised the avian flu risk from 'negligible' to 'moderate' due to concerns over wild migratory birds spreading the virus.
• New measures include sheltering poultry in high-risk areas and mandatory virological testing for ducks and geese before transportation.
• The current avian flu outbreak has resulted in 18 poultry outbreaks and numerous wild bird cases across Europe since August.
• France's mandatory vaccination campaign for large duck farms, covering 70% of costs, aims to curb the virus's spread.
• France remains the only European country vaccinating farm animals against avian flu, affecting its export markets such as Japan.