Avian influenza in Europe: update
On this page you can find the most updated information on current and past HPAI and LPAI outbreaks in domestic poultry and captive birds and cases in wild birds, according to official reporting sources.
To have an overview of the most up-to-date reports on AI in Europe please access the European Food Safety Authority website (EFSA).
For further information, access the pages of the European Commission on avian influenza for the overview on the situation in Member States and the adopted measures.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Europe
2021/2022 – H5, H5N1
At the end of the summer 2021 (July-September), Russia notified to the OIE detections of HPAI A(H5Nx) and HPAI A(H5N1) in domestic and wild birds near the western and eastern border with Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Kazakhstan confirmed the first HPAI A(H5Nx) outbreak in a backyard flock at the end of September 2021. Accordingly to what has been observed during epidemic waves started in autumn 2017 and 2020, this may potentially lead to the involvement of northern and eastern European countries as first places of AI virus introductions in the upcoming autumn-winter season. All EU member states are urged to intensify surveillance and to increase biosecurity measures in order to detect as early as possible the circulation of HPAI and to prevent incursions in the domestic poultry sector.
20/05/2022 – The epidemiological situation in Europe is continuously updated with several new cases of HPAI reported in wild birds and poultry in Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Norway, France, Romania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Portugal, Northern Ireland, Greece, Slovenia, Spain, Latvia, Moldova, Kosovo, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Albania and Iceland. Due to Brexit implementation, The United Kingdom is not included in this update. See Avian influenza (bird flu) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for further information.
- Outbreaks map > (updated: 20/05/2022)
- HPAI positive events by country and poultry category > (updated: 20/05/2022)
- Wild birds: species affected > (updated: 20/05/2022)
2020/2021 – H5, H5N8
Since October 2020 several European countries have been affected by cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), caused by H5 subtype viruses. The 2020/2021 HPAI epidemic appears to be one of the largest and long-lasting HPAI epidemics that has ever occurred in Europe (EFSA, 2021). To date, notification to the Animal Disease Information System (ADIS) indicates that the viruses have been circulating throughout the summer of 2021, although at lower levels, mainly in wild birds with few incursions in domestic poultry and captive birds.
16/12/2020 – Genetic characterization and spatial analysis of HPAI H5Nx viruses identified in Europe over the period 16 October – 24 November 2020. Details >
06/10/2020 – Alert for all Member States of the European Union. Details >
- Outbreaks map > (updated: 08/11/2021)
- HPAI positive events by country and poultry category > (updated: 08/11/2021)
- Wild birds: species affected > (to be updated)
2019/2020 – H5N8
Since the end of December 2019 some outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by H5N8 subtype have been reported in Europe.
- Outbreaks map > (Last update: 30/06/2020)
2016/2019 – H5
Since the beginning of November 2016, many European countries have been affected by cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), caused by H5N8, H5N5 and H5Nx subtype viruses.
- Outbreaks map (Last update: 10/04/2019)
Situation as of 18/06/2018
Updates after 18/06/2018
2017/2019 – H5N6
Since the beginning of December 2017, Northern Europe has been affected by outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) of the H5N6 subtype virus.
- Outbreaks map (Last update: 22/01/2019)
Summary
Since the beginning of December 2017, Northern Europe has been affected by outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), supported by an H5N6 subtype virus.
The outbreaks mainly involved wild birds belonging to the families of the Anatidae, Accipitridae and Laridae. The identified viruses seemed to be the result of a reassortment between HPAI H5N8 European viruses and LPAI viruses from the Eurasian region. So far, the mostly affected countries have been Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Slovakia, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland.
The first outbreak associated with this subtype was confirmed on December 8, 2018 in a duck meat farm in the province of Flevoland, in The Netherlands. The Dutch authorities subsequently notified other positive results identified in wild birds and in animals bred in captivity. To date, the other countries have announced finding positive results almost exclusively in wild birds.
Updates
Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) in Europe
As provided by Article 4 of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002, Member States shall report to the Commission and to the other Member States by 30 April of every year, covering the previous calendar year, on the detection of category E diseases, such as the infection with low pathogenic avian influenza viruses, that have been confirmed in their territory in listed species and groups of listed species referred to in the table set out in the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882. 2. The first report referred to in point 1 is due by 30 April 2022.
Past updates
2021
Outbreaks map (Last update: 01/04/2021)
2020
Outbreaks map (Last update: 31/12/2020)
2019
Outbreaks map (Last update: 17/12/2019)