"After learning about this case of HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Julien Denormandie brought together all the departments of the ministry and the national reference laboratory and decided to place the entire national metropolitan area at ‘high’ risk level as of November 17, 2020," the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
According to the statement, the outbreak of the bird flu (strain H5N8) was detected in Haute-Corse (Upper Corsica), at the pet department of a garden center located near Bastia, after abnormal deaths were observed among poultry.
"All of the birds were euthanized," France’s agriculture ministry said.
Specific measures to monitor and limit movement around the Haute-Corse outbreak were introduced and an investigation is underway into its origins.
According to the agriculture ministry, the H5N8 avian influenza strain isolated in Corsica appears to be similar to a strain currently circulating in the Netherlands. This virus is not transmissible to humans.