About 30,000 ducks have been slaughtered after an outbreak of avian influenza on a farm in west Germany, Reuters reported, citing authorities on Thursday.

The disease was confirmed on a farm in the Guetersloh area, the North Rhine Westphalia state agriculture ministry said.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has led to the culling of hundreds of millions birds in the past years. The disease usually strikes in Europe during autumn and winter with infection often spread by wild birds.

It has recently been detected on farms in countries including France, Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium. Several other cases in Germany have also been reported in recent weeks.

France ordered that a third dose of a vaccine against avian influenza be given to ducks in areas most at risk, citing "new scientific evidence" as it aims to avoid a surge in outbreaks.

France also raised the risk level for avian influenza to 'high' from 'moderate' after new cases of the disease were detected, forcing poultry farms to keep birds indoors to stem the spread of the highly contagious virus.