France detects 5 bird flu outbreaks

The French Ministry of Agriculture said on Thursday that the bird flu has been detected at three more poultry farms, bringing the total number of clusters in the country to five.

All of the cases were reported in the north of France, with the first outbreak detected on November 26.

In November, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) warned that avian influenza was detected in more than 40 countries in the past six months and urged countries to “scale up surveillance efforts, implement strict biosecurity measures and ensure a timely reporting of outbreaks to curb its spread.”