As more highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks are confirmed across the region, and the viruses are detected for the first time this season in new areas, authorities in Europe are beginning to impose controls to reduce the risk of the infection spreading.
In The Netherlands, the agriculture ministry announced a nationwide mandatory housing order for commercial poultry last week. For hobby flocks, owners are now required to shield their birds from contact with wild birds that may transmit the virus.
Commenting on the new restrictions, agriculture minister said that owners of free-range commercial poultry and hobby flocks would be hit hardest by the new rules. However, she stressed that the safety of the birds is paramount, and measures must be taken to prevent further outbreaks.
The housing rules were announced after a Dutch expert group raised the nation’s HPAI risk from moderate to high.
Just a few days previously, the first HPAI cases of the season were detected in poultry in The Netherlands, and another outbreak was confirmed in Germany, close to the Dutch border.
So far, no cases of HPAI have been detected among Belgian poultry flocks. However, shielding measures have also become mandatory for commercial poultry across the country in recent days, according to the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain.
In the United Kingdom, small flock owners have been reminded by the government agriculture department, Defra, that they are required to register within one month all poultry and other captive birds kept at any premises in England and Wales.
New outbreaks in poultry in 8 European countries
Over the previous week, a total of 38 new HPAI outbreaks in poultry have been recorded in eight countries, according to the Animal Disease Information System by the European Commission (EC; as of November 20). The System monitors listed animal diseases in European Union member states and surrounding states, including the Republic of Türkiye (Turkey).
The latest outbreaks include the first in Netherlands since the start of the autumn/fall. Almost all of the new outbreaks were linked to the H5N1 HPAI virus serotype; only in France is the virus identified as a member of the H5 group.
Registering the highest number of new outbreaks was Hungary with 27. The Czech Republic (Czechia), Italy, Poland and Turkey each added two outbreaks to their respective totals. One further outbreak in this category was registered in each of France, Germany, and The Netherlands.
So far this year, a total of 382 HPAI outbreaks linked to an H5 virus variant have been registered in 19 countries by the EC system.
Worst affected country has been Hungary (now with a total of 183). Next come Moldova (45), Poland (39), Germany (19), Bulgaria (18), Italy (17), and France (16).
During the whole of 2023, 521 outbreaks in this population were reported to the EC by 24 countries.
Further detail on recent outbreaks is provided in the official notifications to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) from the national veterinary authorities.
Five latest outbreaks in Poland involved flocks ranging in size from 180 to more than 300,000 birds. According to the chief veterinary office, there have been 43 confirmed outbreaks in the country’s poultry flocks so far in 2024, directly impacting close to 3.1 million birds.
In Italy, 21 outbreaks in poultry have been reported to WOAH since October 1. Among the five confirmed in the period November 20-25 were three in commercial flocks of broilers, meat turkeys, and pheasants — two in the Veneto region, and one in Lombardy. The other two recent outbreaks involved backyard flocks.
Affected by the latest outbreaks in Germany were one flock each of meat turkeys in North Rhine-Westphalia, turkey breeders in Lower Saxony, and laying hens in Schleswig-Holstein.
Widespread new cases in captive birds
Including backyard poultry and zoos, the EC’s system monitors the disease situation in captive birds separately from commercial poultry.
For the year to date, the EC has recorded a total of 110 outbreaks in this category in 15 countries (as of November 20).
For comparison, 15 nations confirmed a total of 93 outbreaks affecting captive birds to the EC during the whole of 2023.
Over the previous seven days, three more flocks of captive birds were confirmed with HPAI in the Czech Republic, and one in each of France, Norway, Poland and Türkiye.
This was the first outbreak of 2024 in this category for Türkiye, and it involved the H5N1 virus variant. Norway was the first country in the region to identify an outbreak in captive birds involving the H5N5 virus serotype.
Wild bird outbreak total passes 670
During 2023, 30 nations recorded a total of more than 3,500 outbreaks involving wild birds through the EC’s system.
As of November 20, the EC has been informed about a total of 672 outbreaks of HPAI affecting wild birds in 31 countries.
Over the preceding week, new cases in this category were registered by eight nations: Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. Each added between one and eight new cases to their respective totals over this period.
Additionally, three European states reported new cases in wild birds to WOAH.
Germany’s total increased by 14, as new H5N1 cases were identified in Bavaria, Hamburg and Lower Saxony. One more wild bird in Iceland tested positive for the H5N5 virus variant. In Great Britain, six more wild birds in England were found to be infected with the H5N1 virus, and there were five additional cases linked to the H5N5 variant.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation in poultry, and on disease developments in the U.S. dairy sector.
