France has detected its first cases of H5N3 bird flu and has found more cases of highly infectious strains during an outbreak of the disease. The outbreak is located in the southwest region of France and is what is called a low-pathogenic strain, which means that it has less of an ability to produce disease symptoms.
France is already dealing with outbreaks of H5N1, H5N2and H5N9 avian flu, which are more pathogenic and which have affected the country's gooseand foie gras farms.
Three cases of H5N3 bird flu were found at three different farms in the southwest, the French agricultural ministry said in a report, which was posted by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The French ministry said the strain was found in two farms in the Landes department and one in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques department. It was detected during a nationwide surveillance campaign following other avian flu outbreaks in the region.
The outbreak carries no risk for human health and there is expected to be no impact on how the agricultural ministry is handling the situation, a ministry official said.
France is the largest agricultural producer in the European Union. It has been dealing with cases of bird flu since late last month involving the three more highly pathogenic strains. The number of cases of highly pathogenic bird flu has now increased to 30, compared with 15 known cases several days ago, the agricultural ministry said on its website.
The emergence of three different highly pathogenic strains in such a short time is unprecedented, the OIE said last week. It is possible that low-pathogenic strains of avian flu had evolved into higher pathogenic ones, the organization said.
The French farm minister said on Monday these strains had no risk of spreading to humans and that the virus cannot be transmitted through food. The ministry is encouraging the people of France to eat foie gras, which is fatty goose liver and is produced mostly in the affected regions, over the year-end holiday season.
France is facing restrictions from several countries on exports of live birds and poultry products, including its top foie gras purchaser. Japan.
