Over the past week, notifications from national veterinary authorities have recorded that wild mammals have tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in two geographically distant European states.
Based on reporting to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Europe had been free of HPAI infections since June of 2024.
Earlier this month, in Central Europe, a fox found dead in Slovenia tested positive for the H5N1 virus, according to the official notification.
Around one week ago, the H5N5 virus serotype was detected in a lynx (wild cat) found dead in northern Norway.
In February of this year, two dead foxes tested positive for the same virus variant in the same Norwegian county. The disease situation was declared “resolved” by the Norwegian animal health agency six months ago.
5 European states record new HPAI cases in poultry
Following confirmation of the presence of the H5N1 virus serotype, further HPAI outbreaks have been reported in the Czech Republic (Czechia), Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom (U.K.)
In Poland, a commercial poultry flock of around 21,000 birds in the north-east of the country was hit by the infection last week.
This brings to 46 the nation’s outbreak total in 2024, according to the chief veterinary office. Directly impacted have been just over 3.14 million poultry, including the meat turkey flock involved in the latest outbreak.
Since the autumn/fall, outbreaks have occurred at 31 poultry premises in Italy, according to the nation’s authority for animal health and food safety, IZSVe.
This total includes six infections that began in the period December 10-19. Affected were three flocks of laying hens, and one each of ducks, meat turkeys, and broiler chickens. The province of Mantua in the Lombardy region was the location of five of these outbreaks, where several farms have already been affected in recent months. The other premises was the first to be hit this year in Verona, which is part of the Veneto region.
In the U.K., the agriculture department, Defra is so concerned about the evolving HPAI situation that it has brought in a mandatory housing order for poultry in parts of eastern England. Taking effect from December 23, it covers the previously designated Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ), and additionally includes the county of Lincolnshire. All poultry in the new AIPZ are covered by the housing order — even small hobby flocks.
Over the past week, the authority has registered with WOAH a further four outbreaks. These bring the series total since December 1 to eight, directly impacting around 236,000 poultry. Of these latest outbreaks, all were in the county of Norfolk, and involved three turkey flocks, and one of free-range broiler chickens.
In recent days, Defra has confirmed outbreaks involving the H5N1 HPAI virus serotype at further poultry farms, bringing the nation’s total to 15 so far.
Registering with WOAH new HPAI outbreaks in captive birds over the past week have been the Czech Republic (six in backyard poultry), and Germany (at a zoo).
Overview of the HPAI situation in European birds
So far this year, 439 outbreaks of HPAI have been recorded in poultry flocks in 20 European countries. This is according to the Animal Disease Information System by the European Commission (EC; as of December 25). It monitors listed animal diseases in EU member states and adjacent countries, including the Republic of Türkiye (Turkey), but excluding Great Britain.
Worst affected by HPAI in poultry this year has been Hungary (with 202 outbreaks to date), followed by Poland (46), Moldova (45), Italy (32), and Germany (28).
For comparison, the System logged a total of 521 HPAI outbreaks in this population in 24 countries during the whole of 2023.
Among their respective wild bird populations, eight European states registered new H5N1 HPAI cases with the EC System over the past week.
Highest number of new cases was recorded by the Netherlands (23). Further cases were also reported in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
For the year to date, 1,020 HPAI outbreaks in wild birds in 34 countries have been logged by the EC System.
During the whole of last year, the outbreak total was 3,559 in 30 states, based on the same source.
Not covered by the EC System, the U.K. reports four more wild birds tested positive for the H5N1 HPAI variant — all in England — according to the latest notification to WOAH.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation in poultry, and on disease developments in the U.S. dairy sector.
