The highly pathogenic bird flu, avian influenza, has been detected in a duck farm in France's eastern department of Ain, causing a total of 10,600 ducks culled, French daily news Le Figaro reported on Sunday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
The State services (departmental directorate for the protection of populations) of Ain have highlighted an outbreak of avian influenza due to a strain of the H5N1 virus in a duck farm located in Saint-Nizier-le-Desert, Le Figaro reported, citing the prefecture of the Ain department.
An epidemiological investigation is underway as the suspicion of the bird flu infection follows the observation of abnormal mortality of the ducks in the farm, wrote Le Figaro, adding that the first cluster of the high pathogenic bird flu was found on Saturday at the duck farm.
According to the local authorities, the cluster has been "depopulated and disinfected," and a protection zone of three km around the outbreak, a surveillance and control zone of 10 km around the outbreak has been put in place.