Latest European avian flu cases range from Portugal to Russia

Over recent weeks, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus appears to be resurging in Europe’s poultry.

Even at this exceptionally late stage in the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) season in Europe, outbreaks linked to the H5N1 HPAI virus continue to be reported in both backyard and commercial poultry flocks.

With the geographical focus of this uptick around the English Channel and North Sea coasts, new cases are reported in commercial flocks in southwest England, the Channel Islands, France, The Netherlands, and northwestern Germany. These may be linked to on-going infections in seabirds during the current prolonged HPAI season in Europe. 

As of August 20, 1,798 HPAI outbreaks have been recorded across Europe so far this year. This is based on the latest update of the Animal Disease Information System by the European Commission (EC). The total represents an increase of 21 outbreaks from the version published on July 29.

To date, one or more outbreaks have occurred in 20 European countries since the start of 2022. For comparison, this season’s figure has passed the total of 1,756  outbreaks registered with the EC by 24 European states throughout 2021.

This year, France has been the nation reporting the most outbreaks to the EC (1,350). Next come Hungary (205), the Netherlands (49), Germany (39), and Poland (35).

For the first time since March, HPAI outbreaks have been registered in Albanian poultry. These bring the nation’s total for the year so far to six. 

Over the past 14 days, 10 countries across the continent from Portugal to Russia have officially registered new outbreaks in poultry with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Without exception, the virus serotype responsible has been identified as the H5N1 subtype.

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