Birds to be culled at farm near Belgian border.

France has detected a "highly pathogenic" strain of bird flu at a poultry farm close to the Belgian border, the government said today.

It's the first time since an serious outbreak last winter that the avian flu has been found in a French farm, the agriculture ministry said in a statement, although four cases have been found among wildlife and three in backyard poultry.

Poultry farmers and private owners must keep birds caged, and poultry shows and markets are prohibited.