An outbreak of avian flu was detected in a duck farm in the Landes, the main department producing foie gras, for the first time since the epizootic last winter, we learned this Sunday from the chamber of 'Agriculture.
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"
It is located in Hastingues
", near Peyrehorade, on the border of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, told AFP Marie-Hélène Cazaubon, president of the Landes chamber of agriculture.
"
The clinical signs left no room for doubt and it was decided to depopulate the farm (from Saturday) without waiting for the results (Sunday) of the final analysis
".
This outbreak, not yet formalized by the prefecture or the Ministry of Agriculture, is the second detected in the South-West, the main foie gras production area, since the avian flu epizootic that affected last winter 15 departments and led to the slaughter of 3.5 million farm poultry.
The first was detected this week in Manciet (Gers).
It was then the eighth French breeding affected, after seven outbreaks reported in the Nord department since November 26.
Read also Avian influenza: a first farm in the southwest affected
From the beginning of November, in order to avoid contact with migratory birds potentially carrying the virus, the health authorities had asked all outdoor and organic producers in mainland France to confine their poultry.
A quarter of the foie gras produced in the Landes
"
We are in a migratory corridor through which birds coming from northern Europe where viral circulation is important in the avifauna, we must be very vigilant
", explained Marie-Hélène Cazaubon, herself a duck breeder. . “
95% of farms are under shelter, but this does not completely prevent the virus from circulating. It can also happen by man, on his boots for example
, ”she added.
The manager said she was both "
worried
", "
because of the trauma experienced at the start of the year (2021), still very much in people's minds and in terms of financial impact
", and "
serene
", because "
95% of breeders make health security efforts
”.
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According to her, there are fewer poultry on the farms than usual at this time because the operators "
can only keep a number of birds which corresponds to their capacity for sheltering
" and because "
some producers do not did not wish to take back ducks during this period
”.
In addition, the poultry and ducks intended for the end-of-year celebrations “
have already mostly left
” farms.
The Landes produce a quarter of French foie gras and have around 800 palmiped farms, especially ducks.