A wild duck found dead 20 miles northeast of Lyon, in a wildlife reserve, had the H5N1 virus strain, said Ministry of Agriculture officials. All farmed poultry in France now have to stay indoors. Plans are underway to vaccinate all poultry in the country.
France is the largest producer of farmed poultry in the European Union. It is also common in France for country folk to have some poultry for personal consumption.
The speed at the which H5N1 virus has spread into Western Europe has taken many people by surprise. The sale of chicken meat for human consumption in some countries has virtually vanished. Italian shopkeepers say sales of chicken meat have dropped about 90%. Even though chicken meat is perfectly safe to eat, if cooked thoroughly, people are scared.
Now that bird flu has arrived to France, the UK looks on anxiously, hoping the 26 mile wide stretch of sea, which has protected the country so many times from foreign invasions, may do so again. If another cold snap hits Europe, the chances of wild birds travelling further west and landing in Great Britain grow. There are two routes migrating birds could take. Firstly, from Europe, to get away from the cold. Secondly, from Africa during the Spring when birds migrate. In West Africa bird flu is spreading fast.
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