France has reported an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu among red foxes northeast of Paris, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said today. The spread of the virus to mammals has already caused worldwide concern.
After three foxes were found dead in a nature reserve in Meaux, where gulls had also died nearby, one of the foxes was tested. This is how the WOAH quotes the French authorities. After the test, it was confirmed that the foxes were infected with bird flu.
The World Health Organization last month described the avian flu situation as “concerning” due to the recent surge in cases in birds and mammals. The organization added that it was reviewing its global risk assessment in light of recent developments, including cases of human transmission in Cambodia.
Avian influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu, has spread around the world in the past year, killing more than 200 million birds, skyrocketing egg prices and worrying governments about transmission to humans.
The virus infected a cat in France at the end of December. It has also been found in minks in Spain, foxes and otters in Britain, sea lions in Peru and grizzly bears in the United States.
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