France confirms H5N1 outbreak

French officials today confirmed that the outbreak of bird flu in a flock of Turkeys in the south east of the country was caused by the deadly H5N1 virus.

The virus matched that found in wild ducks in the region and an investigation is now under way to find out how the turkeys, which were housed indoors, became infected.

"What worries us, and this is why we have reacted immediately, is that the farm is within the protection zone that we set up for the first duck," said farm minister Dominique Bussereau. A 3 km protection zone and 7 km surveillance zone has been place around the infected farm.

Before this discovery sales of poultrymeat had already plummetted by 30 per cent in France and President Chirac has urged consumers not to shun poultrymeat, insisting it is safe to eat.