France has increased its national bird flu alert from moderate to high, ordering poultry farms across the country to keep flocks indoors. The move comes as Europe sees an early seasonal rise in avian influenza cases.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), often referred to as bird flu, is typically spread by migratory birds and resurfaces each autumn. The virus has forced the culling of millions of birds globally in recent years, disrupting poultry production and renewing public health concerns.
According to the French agriculture ministry, the heightened alert follows new detections of infected wild migratory birds in several European countries, including France, as well as confirmed outbreaks on domestic poultry farms. To date, officials have reported two outbreaks on commercial farms and three in backyard flocks. The first case this season was identified in mid-October at a pheasant and partridge breeding facility in northern France.
The new restrictions and high-risk designation will take effect Wednesday. This year’s alert has been implemented earlier than usual—arriving in October, compared to November in 2024 and December in 2023—signaling a potentially challenging season ahead for European poultry producers.
