France reported an outbreak of bird flu H5N1 highly pathogenic among red foxes in an area northeast of Paris, said the World Organization for Animal Health (OMSA), at a time when the spread of the virus to mammals is causing worldwide concern.
After three dead foxes were found in a nature reserve near where seagulls had perished, one of the mammals was collected and examined, he said. OMSA in a report, citing French authorities.
Last month, the World Health Organization described the avian flu situation as “worrying” due to the recent increase in cases in birds and mammals and said it was reviewing its global risk assessment in light of recent events, including cases of human transmission in Cambodia.
The bird flucommonly called bird flu, has been sweeping the world in the past year, killing more than 200 million birds, skyrocketing egg prices and raising concern among governments about human transmission.
The virus infected a cat in France at the end of December.
The disease has also been detected in mink in Spain, foxes and otters in Britain, sea lions in peru and brown bears in the United States.
