The H5N1 strain of avian influenza was confirmed in a flock of about 30 backyard poultry in the village of Biras, said Christian Moreau, a spokesman for the Dordogne prefecture, which includes the Perigord region. The birds have been culled and a security perimeter set up around the village, he said.

Bird flu and measures to contain it, including mass culls, can decimate poultry production. A United States outbreak eliminated about 48 million fowl, mostly layer hens, in the first half of the year. The Aquitaine region that includes Dordogne is France's biggest producer of foie gras, the luxury food made from the liver of fattened ducks or geese.

“The perimeter has been established, we have to eradicate the virus but the situation is under control,” Moreau said.

The H5N1 outbreak is France's first since 2007. The virus is highly pathogenic to poultry, and French food-safety agency Anses will evaluate the potential risk to humans, the Agriculture Ministry said.
While the cause of the outbreak is not yet known, H5N1 is generally spread by wild birds, Moreau said.