Hundreds of thousands of birds have been culled in Europe and Asia in recent days, as authorities try to contain highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI). Having already caused serious problems in European countries such as the Netherlands and UK, the disease is now spreading in France, where authorities have confirmed more than 60 outbreaks of the H5N8 virus.
Germany, Poland, and Sweden have also confirmed cases of HPAI on poultry farms. In Asia, South Korea, Japan and India have all reported multiple outbreaks.