France reports another bird flu strain in southwest

PARIS (Reuters) - France has detected H5N9 avian influenza among poultry in the southwest of the country, an official report showed on Friday, the third strain of bird flu to be confirmed this month in the region known for its foie gras production.

Bird flu has spread across Europe in recent weeks, prompting preventative slaughtering of poultry or confinement of flocks indoors. In Asia, meanwhile, the rapid spread of a different strain of the disease has led South Korea to order the culling of millions of birds.