“Avian influenza in its highly pathogenic form (HIPA) is a highly contagious animal disease that can infect many species of wild and farmed birds. This disease spreads rapidly among birds, causing very high mortality and significant consequences, both in farms and for wildlife.“, recalls in the preamble the Prefecture of Pas de Calais in a complete situation update, drawn up on October 28.

At the national level, several hundred birds that died from the virus have been replaced since the start of the summer, mainly on the west coast of France. Reinforced protection and surveillance measures have therefore been put in place in the departments concerned in an attempt to protect the farms. To date, around twenty outbreaks in farms have been confirmed in 11 departments, a sign of the persistence of the virus in the environment. This situation requires the transition to the moderate risk level for the entire territory since October 2, 2022, with new ministerial management measures.

In Pas-de-Calais, all preventive measures are implemented to detect potential contamination of farms as soon as possible, even if commercial farms in the department are spared for the moment. New management measures have been taken by prefectural decree (available in attachment). These measures apply to all poultry sectors and to avifauna within a perimeter of 20 kilometers around the place where the case was discovered:

Measures implemented on farms:

1-reinforced biosecurity measures;

2-reinforced surveillance in commercial farms with more than 250 birds: weekly search for the HPAI virus in the environment and on each dead animal;

3- reinforced surveillance before movement for all commercial farms: search for the HPAI virus 48 hours before any movement.

Measures implemented in the avifauna:

1-increased surveillance;

2- the regulation of hunting activities:

• for callers: transport of callers limited to 30 callers and category 1 holders, use of nomadic callers with a single holder and no direct contact between nomadic callers and residents;

• the transport and release of game is authorized subject to conditions after declaration to the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (DDPP) of Pas-de-Calais.

Measures implemented for individuals:

1- an obligation to declare to the town hall;

2- sheltering poultry;

3- reporting of any abnormal mortality.

Implementation of a new Temporary Control Zone (ZCT) following the discovery of a case in the municipality of Fort Mahon (Somme department):

Following the detection of a case of avian influenza in wild birds in the municipality of Fort Mahon and in accordance with the latest ministerial instructions, a temporary control zone (ZCT) is set up within a radius of 20 kilometers around the where the bird with HPAI was discovered. 34 municipalities in Pas-de-Calais are affected by this ZCT.

The measures taken in this context are:

1- the inventory of poultry places;

2-a veterinary visit to commercial farms;

3-sheltering poultry with reinforced biosecurity measures;

4-the implementation of self-checks in commercial farms with more than 250 poultry.

This ZCT should be maintained until November 4, 2022.