Recent surveillance data from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL) reveals a significant decline in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections across Europe.
This decline comes after an exceptionally severe autumn-winter season, marking the worst year for waterfowl circulation in five years. Although recent trends show a decrease, total outbreaks for this season exceed those of previous years during the same timeframe. Fortunately, the risk to public health continues to be assessed as low by both EFSA and ECDC.
Current Data on Wild Birds and Poultry
Between November 29, 2025, and February 27, 2026, the following outbreaks were recorded:
- 406 outbreaks of HPAI in domestic birds.
- 2,108 outbreaks in wild birds across 32 European countries.
Notably, wild bird detections were three times higher than during the previous year and nearly five times greater compared to two years ago. This spike is directly attributed to an unusually robust seasonal peak. Since December, detections have begun to follow a downward trajectory, aligning with typical seasonal patterns. On poultry farms, the majority of infections resulted from indirect contact with wild birds, while direct farm-to-farm transmission remained rare.
These findings underscore the crucial need for strict biosecurity measures, including:
- Mitigating contact between poultry and wild birds.
- Enhancing hygiene practices and controls at the farm level.
- Implementing monitoring systems for early detection of infections.
Increased Detection in Mammals
While bird-related cases are on the decline, there has been a slight uptick in detections among mammals. For the first instance within the European Union, serological tests conducted on a seemingly healthy dairy cattle herd revealed evidence of past exposure to highly pathogenic avian influenza, implying a potential spillover from wild birds. Ongoing investigations are currently underway to explore this phenomenon further.
