The current highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epidemic in poultry and wild birds is the largest ever recorded in Europe. This is according to the latest review of the disease situation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
To show how the situation is developing, the agency has recently launched an interactive dashboard.
For the HPAI season from October of 2021 to September of the following year, the number of outbreaks confirmed by 37 European countries reached 2,520 in poultry, 227 in captive birds, and 3,867 in wild species. More than 50 million farmed poultry were culled across the region over this period.
As well as the exceptionally high number of HPAI cases in birds (both domestic and wild), the past season was also remarkable for the persistence of outbreaks throughout the summer of 2022. EFSA states that there was no clear separation between the end of the 2021-2022 season, and the start of the following HPAI period.
So far, the risk of infection to the human population generally from the circulating H5N1 HPAI virus has been low. Even for those exposed to the virus through their contact with poultry, the risk was assessed as low to medium by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which also contributed to the EFSA review.
With very few exceptions, all the continent’s outbreaks were linked to the HPAI virus of the H5N1 serotype.
EFSA reports it is currently assessing the availability of vaccines to protect poultry from HPAI infections. This assessment was requested by the European Commission, and it includes potential vaccination strategies. The report is scheduled for release in the second half of this year.
Overview of HPAI on European poultry farms
For the year to December 31, 2022, 2,322 HPAI outbreaks have been recorded in commercial poultry flocks across Europe in 2022. This is based on the latest update of the Animal Disease Information System by the European Commission (EC). One or more outbreaks have occurred in 24 countries covered by the EC since the start of 2022.
For comparison, the same source registered 1,756 outbreaks registered with the EC by 24 of the continent’s states for the whole of last year.
Based on information from the EC, mainland France has reported by far the highest number of HPAI outbreaks in poultry in 2022 to the EC (1,594). The French annual total was followed by Hungary (294), Germany (97), The Netherlands (79), Poland (69), Italy (54), and Spain (37). Each of the remaining countries covered by the EC confirmed no more than 20 outbreaks in commercial poultry during the past calendar year.
Over 300 outbreaks in Europe’s backyard flocks, captive birds
In the EC’s system, the category of “captive birds” was restored as a separate category for 2022.
Covering non-commercial poultry flocks, zoos, and similar premises, the region’s outbreak total reached 313 for the year. One or more cases have been confirmed in 20 European countries so far this year.
Registering the highest number of outbreaks among these birds last year were Germany and France, with totals of 109 and 101, respectively. Next came The Netherlands with 49, Belgium with 18, while the other states each recorded no more than seven outbreaks.
Wild bird outbreaks pass 2,300
For the year December, a total of 3,245 HPAI outbreaks in wild birds have been reported to the EC. One or more outbreaks have now been confirmed in 33 European states in 2022.
Of the total, 1,234 outbreaks have been reported by Germany, followed by The Netherlands (679), mainland France (301), Belgium (168), Denmark (145), and Spain (143).
For comparison, the EC disease system recorded a total of 2,437 HPAI outbreaks in captive and wild birds in 31 European states during the whole of 2021.
No respite from HPAI for France
The French poultry sector continues to suffer devastating losses from HPAI outbreaks.
Since the start of the current season (August 1, 2022), 274 outbreaks on farms have been confirmed in commercial flocks, according to the agriculture ministry (as of January 13).
Based on official notifications to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), more than 432,000 poultry in France have died at 1,648 farm premises as a result of HPAI since November of 2021. More than 19.7 million more birds have been culled.
All 12 of the regions of mainland France have now registered at least one HPAI outbreak in poultry, while cases have occurred in 28 of the nation’s 96 departments.
Since August last, the ministry has also recorded 67 HPAI outbreaks in birds other than poultry across 37 departments of mainland France.
HPAI situation elsewhere in Europe
EC does not publish information on the disease situation in the United Kingdom (U.K. except Northern Ireland).
Since October of 2022, the government agriculture department, Defra has confirmed 162 outbreaks across the U.K. (as of January 13). This total comprises 143 in England, 15 in Scotland, three in Wales, and one in Northern Ireland.
For the first time since May of 2021, the H5N1 HPAI virus has been detected in poultry at a farm on the Isle of Man. In late December, more than half of the 800 laying hens died at the premises in this self-governing Crown dependency in the Irish Sea. No further cases in the area have been detected in the meantime.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
