France Raises Bird Flu Risk From Weak To Moderate
January 13, 2008 by mimmson
Filed under Flu Pandemic - Top News Stories
France has raised its bird-flu risk alert to ‘moderate’ from ‘weak’, the Agriculture ministry said.
The decision was taken following the discovery Thursday of a highly contagious strain of the bird flu virus (H5N1) in three dead swans in a nature reserve in Dorset, in the southwest of England, the ministry said.
The French warning system has six levels: negligible 1, negligible 2, weak, moderate, high and very high, the ministry said.
The main impact of the decision to lift the warning is to forbid gatherings of birds and poultry in localities considered particularly at risk.
Birds and poultry in these localities must be kept out of all direct or indirect contact with wild birds, or are subject to alternative measures after an evaluation by a veterinarian.
