Avian influenza situation in the EU worsens sharply

With the arrival of autumn, the European Union has seen a sharp increase in avian influenza cases, affecting both the commercial poultry sector and wild bird populations.

According to WATTPoultry, data from the National Veterinary Reference Laboratory at the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute (FLI) show that between October 1 and November 5, a total of 157 outbreaks of the H5N1 virus were recorded among domestic and captive birds across Europe. The highest number of cases was reported in Germany (66), followed by France and Italy (15 each), Poland (13), and Spain (11).

Among wild birds, 732 outbreaks were detected across Europe during the same period. Again, Germany recorded the most cases, followed by France (93), the Netherlands (56), the United Kingdom (55), and Spain (30). In addition, the H5N5 virus variant was found at three locations in Iceland and one in Norway.

According to the Animal Disease Information System (as of November 5), a total of 399 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been reported in 22 European countries in 2025, with nearly all linked to the H5N1 serotype. For comparison, 451 outbreaks were registered across 20 EU countries throughout 2024.

So far this year, Hungary has reported the highest number of outbreaks (106), though only one has occurred since May. Next are Poland (102), Germany (74), Italy (37), Spain (14), Bulgaria (13), and France (12).

On October 22, the Republic of Ireland confirmed its first cases of HPAI in 2025 among poultry. The total number of outbreaks has risen by 77 over the past two weeks, with Germany recording the largest increase (44), followed by Italy (10). New cases were also reported in Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

As of November 5, 34 European countries have confirmed a total of 1,342 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza among wild birds. For comparison, the EU database recorded 926 outbreaks in 32 countries over the entire year of 2024.

Tags: EU