The culling of 10,550 turkeys and 2,000 ducks has been ordered in two departments in western France, as authorities urge the strictest biosecurity measures in the face of the growing threat posed by wild bird migration.
Two significant new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were confirmed on Friday 17 October 2025 at a 2,000-duck farm in the commune of Allons (Lot-et-Garonne) and on Thursday 16 October at a 10,550-turkey farm in Nort-sur-Erdre (Loire-Atlantique). In both cases, culling of all birds was ordered and commenced on Friday 17th.
These are not isolated outbreaks, but they are more significant (due to the larger farm sizes) than the previous foci in Seine-Maritime and Pas-de-Calais. This detection comes amid growing concern that led France to raise its national risk level from “low” to “moderate” on Wednesday 15 October.
As a direct consequence of the Allons outbreak, the prefecture of Lot-et-Garonne has ordered the culling of the 2,000 ducks on the affected holding and has mobilised state services to assist the poultry farmer. To contain the spread of the virus, a prefectural decree has established a 3-kilometre protection zone and a 10-kilometre surveillance zone around the outbreak. The communes of Allons, Boussès, Houeillès, Pindères, Pompogne and Sauméjan fall within these perimeters, where confinement of all poultry is required and all movements are prohibited.
A challenging national context
This case is not an isolated event. The elevation of the national risk level was triggered by the prior emergence of further foci in Seine-Maritime and Pas-de-Calais. The epidemiological investigation is ongoing to determine the origin of these outbreaks. Security perimeters have also been established in this area and could be lifted from 8 November onwards if no new cases arise.
A call for biosecurity and hope placed in vaccination
Health authorities indicate that these outbreaks confirm a strong infection dynamic among wild birds using migration corridors at this time of year. Accordingly, they have issued an urgent call to all stakeholders in the poultry sector to implement the strictest biosecurity measures, with the aim of preventing the virus from entering farms.
Despite the onset of this epidemic, authorities are reminding the public that the consumption of meat, foie gras, eggs and any poultry-derived products poses no risk to human health.
France hopes to avoid a large-scale epizootic thanks to the mandatory duck vaccination campaign, implemented since autumn 2023 and now in its third year of application. This strategy has already demonstrated its effectiveness, drastically reducing the number of outbreaks from 1,800 between 2021 and 2023 (which resulted in the culling of 32 million birds and losses of billions of euros) to just a few dozen over the past two years.
To find out more:
-. Poultry farming in France
-. Avian Influenza on NeXusAvicultura