To protect herds and foie gras from the ravages of avian influenza, France has begun mass vaccination of 64 million ducks.
The campaign, launched this week, is aimed at combating the spread of deadly avian influenza variants that have forced French farmers to cull more than 30 million birds over the past three years and contributed to a decline in foie gras production. It is intended to prevent.
“It’s a real ray of hope,” Eric Dumas, a duck farmer and president of the French Foie Gras Federation, said in a statement after Agriculture Minister Marc Feznaud visited his farm near Bordeaux. Start a campaign.
But the plan, which Mr. Fesnow described as the European Union’s first bird vaccination program, was met with an immediate response from the United States by restricting imports of ducks and other poultry from Europe. “France’s vaccination decision risks introducing disease to the United States.” The US Department of Agriculture stated:.
In recent years, the disease known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has spread to poultry farms around the world, causing fatalities. Approximately 60 million domesticated birds Even in the US alone.
In France, farmers were already trying to combat the spread of influenza by adding health checks, reducing the density of birds on farms and culling them. In 2022, these efforts resulted in a 35% reduction in the number of ducks available for foie gras production compared to the previous year. According to the Foie Gras Committee.
Foie Gras Federation director Marie-Pierre Pé said by phone that the vaccination program is fundamental for her group’s farmers. “We have paid a huge price for bird flu,” she said. “We protect animals.”
Foie gras refers to the liver of ducks and geese that are fattened by force-feeding. For many, this dish is a hallmark of French gastronomy. Others claim that the method of production amounts to torture and animal cruelty.
The French government’s vaccination program is compulsory for farms with more than 250 ducks, totaling 64 million ducks. This number exceeds the number of people who have received a coronavirus vaccine in France, which, like many coronavirus vaccines, requires two doses.
The first vaccination is given to chicks at 10 days old, followed by the second vaccination eight days later. The foie gras federation said in a statement that the campaign, which runs into next year, will be a “huge technical and financial challenge.”
Jocelyn Margris, an avian expert at France’s national network of veterinarians who deals with livestock, says: His group was working with the government to help plan the program. He said ducks were chosen because they are susceptible to the virus and spread quickly.
The government will cover 85% of the cost of the program, or about 80 million euros (about $84 million). This is just part of the more than €1 billion the government paid out in 2021 and 2022 in compensation to farmers forced to kill their birds. According to a recent French parliamentary report.
Public health officials are accelerating efforts to contain the outbreak, fearing that bird flu could mutate into a version that can infect humans.
The USDA action was announced on September 29th. The restrictions cover imports of poultry, live ducks, duck eggs, and unprocessed duck products from Europe. The restriction comes as vaccinated poultry may not show signs of avian influenza, potentially masking whether the virus is circulating, the announcement said. This stems from the decision to do so.
The French agriculture ministry said in a statement that talks between the two countries had been launched to “provide all the comfort factors to enable the rapid lifting of the US restrictions.”
Bae said the ban would not have a negative impact on French foie gras producers because they do not have export permits to the United States.
Mr Margulies, the avian veterinarian, said veterinarians would also continue to be deployed to randomly swab the ducks to ensure no contamination occurred despite vaccination.
“If they turn out to be positive,” he said. “They will be eliminated.”
