Europe strengthens measures amid rise in deadly avian influenza cases

The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza has led more European countries to confine millions of birds to protect them from infection by wild migratory species. Ireland joined the list on Wednesday, November 5, imposing a nationwide housing order after confirming its first outbreak in three years, Reuters reported.

The disease —which in recent years has caused the death of hundreds of millions of birds and recently spread to dairy cattle in the United States— is once again raising concerns in the poultry industry and among health authorities over the risk of human transmission and its impact on food prices.

According to Nigel Sweetnam, chairman of the National Poultry Committee of the Irish Farmers’ Association, the current pattern is “very concerning,” as the virus arrived a month earlier than usual and has been detected in new regions of the country.

France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium have adopted similar measures in recent weeks. In total, 15 of the 27 EU member states have reported farm outbreaks this season, heightening health alerts across the bloc.

The current avian influenza season is showing an exceptionally high number of outbreaks in Europe —688 confirmed so far, compared with 189 during the same period last year— according to France’s animal health surveillance platform. The surge coincides with the autumn bird migration, when the disease typically peaks.

Germany is the most affected EU country, with 58 farm outbreaks between August and October, out of 136 cases recorded in the EU and the UK —well above the eight reported in the previous season.