France lifts poultry farming curbs as bird flu crisis fades

France's farm minister said on Tuesday (7 June) that it would lift bird flu restrictions on poultry farming in the country. The ministry cited a halt to outbreaks following the worst-ever epidemic of the highly contagious virus, which saw the culling of 16 million birds.

European Union's second-largest poultry producer had relaxed restrictions in some areas of the country, but they kept the birds in the most affected areas.

There have been four cases of the disease on farms since then. The last one was 17 May. This led the ministry to reduce the country's risk assessment to "negligible".

A ministry official stated that "this basically means the crisis has passed us."

Bird flu has spread around the world, raising concerns for governments and the poultry industry. It can ravage flocks and pose a threat to human health.

After the first wave of bird flu in southwest France resulted in the culling 4 million birds, mostly ducks, then the country was hit by outbreaks further north along the Atlantic coast. These were believed to be caused by wild birds returning to France.

France has seen 1,378 cases of bird flu since November.

Pays de Loire in France, the second-largest poultry-producing region, was the most affected.

Millions of chickens and laying hens were killed in the culling. This led to an increase in egg prices and decreased production.

The ministry stated that some sanitary measures would remain in effect around the most affected areas.