France has stepped up its bird flu risk assessment to 'high' from 'moderate', it said on Friday in a decree that will trigger reinforced security measures around poultry farms.

France has raised its bird flu risk to "high," enforcing stricter poultry farm measures as cases rise across Europe

H5N1 influenza has now been detected in pigs. This was something virologists had been worrying about ever since this highly pathogenic strain of bird flu started its rapid global spread in 2020. But why were we worrying specifically about pigs? And does this case – detected on a farm in Oregon on October 29 – change anything?

By Sybille de La Hamaide PARIS (Reuters) -Bird flu has been spreading faster in the European Union this season than a milder 2023, raising concerns of a repeat of previous crises that led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry and renewing fears that it could expand to humans.

Cases of bird flu have been detected at a commercial poultry farm in Yorkshire, the first time the highly infectious virus has been confirmed in chickens in England during the current outbreak.

But with H5N1 now able to infect pigs, and showing worrying mutations for human adaptation, the level of risk has increased. Given the virus is so widespread in animals and birds, the statistical probability of a pandemic arising is higher than ever before.

Bird flu has been spreading fast among poultry in the European Union this season, raising concerns of a repeat of previous crises that led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry in the bloc and fears that it could spread to humans.

A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in commercial poultry at a farm in East Riding of Yorkshire. The virus, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), was discovered near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire,

The UK government warned bird keepers to remain vigilant after bird flu was detected at a commercial poultry farm in northern England, the second outbreak this year and first of the season.

The UK government said on Tuesday it has confirmed a strain of the H5N5 bird flu virus in commercial poultry at a premises near Hornsea in Yorkshire. All poultry on the infected premises will be humanely culled and a three kilometer protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone has been put in place surrounding the premises,