18.02.2016

To date there are 72 outbreaks of HPAI H5 (N1, N2 and N9) and seven outbreaks of LPAI H5 (N2 and N3) which have been reported to the EU Animal Disease Notification System. The recent outbreaks have been detected as part of clinical surveillance and the majority in fattening ducks. The exports and trade of live poultry, hatching eggs and day old chicks are carefully controlled from restriction zone. The eradication programme put in place by the French Authorities is designed to allow current populated farms to continue production until expected point of slaughter and then for strict cleaning and disinfection to take place, followed by a period of several weeks during which the premises must remain empty. Restocking will take place, accompanied by a programme of confirmatory negative testing which will lead to lifting the restriction zone later in the year. Occasional outbreaks have been detected in chickens through reports of clinical signs, which may signify contact with infected farms or a wider environmental contamination. The outbreaks have, for the large part, been restricted to the fattening duck production system with occasional spill-over into other farms in close proximity and likely fomite transfer.