(Sansubba/iStock/Getty Images)

Sweden reports bird flu outbreak as disease spreads

The Philippines bans poultry imports from France, Belgium to protect poultry, workers, consumers

Sweden has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus on a farm in the southern part of the country, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Tuesday, as the disease spreads in Europe. The Philippines, meanwhile, has banned imports of French and Belgian poultry as a virus containment measure.



Testing wetlands for infectious bird flu – and finding it

Testing wetlands for infectious bird flu – and finding it

Because concentration is too low in large water bodies, the usual methods of testing don’t work

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Morning omelettes and holiday dinners have become more expensive. One likely cause is bird flu, outbreaks of which led to the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys from infection or culling in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and which still demands rigorous monitoring of wild populations. Now, reporting […] Read more


Chickens in a barn

Opinion: Eliminating bird flu in chicken barns

Bird flu could be eradicated by editing the genes of chickens and one study shows how

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Recent advances in gene editing technology could potentially help create disease-resistant animals. In a recent study, my colleagues and I showcased the potential of gene editing to protect chickens from the threat of avian influenza. This disease is caused by an ever-evolving virus that gets around numerous biosecurity measures such as good […] Read more

Fried foie gras, grilled. (Vichie81/iStock/Getty Images)

French foie gras makers toast rising output after bird flu gloom

Canada, U.S., Japan ban French poultry imports since vaccination

Paris | Reuters — French foie gras output is set to rise for the first time in five years in 2023 as France starts vaccinating ducks against bird flu that has destroyed flocks in recent years, but trade bans that followed will weigh on exports, producers said on Thursday. France has been among the countries […] Read more


Flu viruses hijack proteins like ANP32 inside cells to help themselves replicate, and the edits in chickens were designed to stop the growth of bird flu.

Gene editing offers chickens some protection against bird flu, study shows

About half the birds will still get breakthrough infections at higher exposure rates

Reading Time: 2 minutes Scientists in Britain have found they can partially protect chickens from bird flu infections by editing their genes, signaling a new potential strategy to reduce the spread of the deadly virus.  Highly pathogenic avian influenza, known as bird flu, has spread to new corners of the globe since 2022, wiping out millions of poultry birds […] Read more

File photo of ducks on a farm at Gironde in southwestern France. (Esperanza33/iStock/Getty Images)

Canada puts temporary ban on France’s poultry, eggs

CFIA move to 'manage the risk' from bird flu vaccination plan

Imports of live birds and unprocessed poultry and eggs from France are barred from Canada effective Sunday (Oct. 1), pending a risk assessment of France’s duck vaccination program for avian flu. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the temporary ban Tuesday, following France’s move to require mandatory vaccination against highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) […] Read more