Since the outbreak of bird flu began in November, the French Ministry of Agriculture said on Monday that 16 million domestic birds have been slaughtered in France, a record number.
But the ministry indicated that "the peak of the epidemic at the end of March was exceeded, and the speed of its spread slowed down."
Since the first case was recorded in northern France at the end of November, more than 1,300 farms have been infected with the virus, mainly in Vendee, western France, and in neighboring provinces, where the authorities have emptied farms by slaughtering large numbers of infected, but also uninfected, birds as a precaution. .
Crises associated with avian influenza are generally confined to southwestern France, particularly to duck farms dedicated to foie gras production.
Last year, nearly 500 outbreaks were recorded on farms and 3.5 million birds, mostly ducks, were slaughtered.
Avian influenza is a seasonal disease transmitted by migratory birds from Asia, usually appearing in October in Europe and continuing until April.
But for the first time, wild birds brought the disease to farms this year as they migrated from southern countries, triggering a second wave that is nearing its end.
