H5N1 returns: France detects its first outbreak of deadly bird flu virus in eight years

France, the European Union's biggest agricultural producer, reported its first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in eight years after detecting it in a backyard in a southwestern region home to many foie gras and poultry producers.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus killed 22 chickens out of 32 kept in a family backyard at Biras in the Perigord region, officials said on Wednesday.

Ministers asked France's health and safety agency to evaluate the strain's degree of danger to humans, Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll told reporters, insisting there was no risk of transmission by eating food.

The outbreak comes just before demand for foie gras, produced from duck or goose liver, peaks over the year-end holiday season, but officials play down any impact.

“This virus has no effect as far as consuming poultry meat or anything that comes from poultry products is concerned - I am thinking particularly about foie gras since we are approaching times of high consumption,” Le Foll told reporters.

Sales of French foie gras were worth around 2 billion euros (HK$16.3 billion) at the wholesale level last year.

Hong Kong, Japan, Egypt and elsewhere banned French poultry following past outbreaks of H5N1. Japan is the largest importer of French foie gras.