France confirms first avian influenza outbreak in the Somme

Sunday 11 January 2026 - 07:00

By: Sahili Aya

France confirms first avian influenza outbreak in the Somme

French authorities have confirmed the first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Somme department, located in northern France. The announcement was made by the local prefecture on Thursday, following the detection of the virus in a poultry farm near Abbeville.

The affected facility, situated in the municipality of Sailly-Flibeaucourt, housed more than 83,000 chickens and nearly 9,000 turkeys. According to official sources, all infected birds were culled as a preventive measure to limit the risk of further spread.

In response to the outbreak, authorities have established a surveillance zone covering around thirty neighboring municipalities, where the movement of poultry and other captive birds has been temporarily banned. These restrictions are expected to remain in place for at least nine days, pending a reassessment of the epidemiological situation.

This case follows the recent detection of another avian influenza outbreak in the Yvelines region, near Paris, involving a pheasant farm. Due to the multiplication of cases nationwide, France raised its avian influenza risk level to the highest category in late October.

The measures aim to protect poultry farms and limit the economic and sanitary impact of the disease, which remains a major concern for the agricultural sector.