Bird flu is spreading at a faster pace in the European Union this season, significantly outpacing the milder outbreaks of 2023. This surge has raised alarms about a potential repeat of past crises, where outbreaks led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry, and has reignited concerns over possible transmission to humans. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, has already claimed the lives of hundreds of millions of birds globally in recent years.
Since August 1, marking the start of the migratory season, EU countries have reported 62 outbreaks on poultry farms, predominantly in the eastern regions, according to data from the World Organization for Animal Health. This represents a notable increase from just seven outbreaks at the same time in 2023. However, it remains below the 112 cases reported by late October 2022. So far, there have been no human or cattle cases reported in the EU this season, unlike in the U.S., where the virus has infected nearly 400 dairy herds across 14 states and affected 36 people since April.
The virus poses a potential risk to human health, with recent cases involving workers on an infected commercial egg farm. Additionally, its spread to other mammals, including dairy cattle and swine in the U.S., has raised concerns about mutations that could make the virus more transmissible among humans, potentially sparking a new pandemic.
Yann Nedelec, director of the French poultry industry group Anvol, acknowledged the urgency of the situation, noting that the current level of spread is “more worrying” than at the same time last year. Bird flu is a seasonal disease among poultry, often introduced through the feces of infected migratory birds in the autumn and decreasing with spring migration patterns.
Some EU countries have been hit harder than others this season. Hungary, for instance, has recorded the most outbreaks since August 1, with cases rising quickly in recent weeks. In Poland, the EU’s largest poultry producer, the virus prompted the culling of 1.8 million birds, with nearly 1.4 million culled from a single farm in Sroda Wielkopolska. Meanwhile, France, which suffered severe losses during the 2022-23 season but experienced a relatively mild season last year, has heightened biosecurity measures as of mid-October in response to rising bird flu cases in neighboring countries.
As the season progresses, the EU’s agricultural and health authorities remain vigilant, ramping up preventive measures to mitigate the risks of further spread within poultry farms and potential transmission to humans.
