Avian Influenza Detections in Birds Decline Across EU
Summary
EFSA, in collaboration with ECDC and the EU Reference Laboratory, published its quarterly monitoring report covering 29 November 2025 to 27 February 2026. Authorities reported 406 outbreaks of HPAI in domestic birds and 2,108 in wild birds across 32 European countries. Detections in wild birds were three times higher than the same quarter last year and nearly five times higher than two years ago. Since December 2025, detections have declined in line with expected seasonal patterns toward spring. The risk to the general public remains low.
“Since December, detections have moved onto a downward trajectory, in line with the expected seasonal pattern towards spring.”
What changed
EFSA published its latest quarterly avian influenza monitoring report covering the autumn-winter 2025–2026 period, which recorded the highest HPAI circulation in waterfowl in five years. While detections in domestic birds were similar to prior years, wild bird outbreaks reached approximately 2,100 cases across 32 countries — three to five times above historical levels for the same quarter.
Poultry farm infections primarily resulted from indirect contact with wild birds, with limited farm-to-farm spread. The report notes a small rise in mammalian detections and, for the first time in the EU, evidence of past HPAI exposure in an apparently healthy dairy cattle herd. Follow-up investigations are under way. The findings reinforce the importance of robust biosecurity to prevent wildlife-to-farm introduction. No compliance obligations or deadlines are imposed by this report.
Archived snapshot
Apr 20, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Avian influenza: detections in birds decline across the EU
Published:
12 March 2026
2 minutes read Share:
-
- Detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in birds in Europe have started to decline, following an autumn and winter period in which HPAI circulation in waterfowl reached its highest level in five years. According to the latest quarterly monitoring report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL), the number of recorded outbreaks is higher overall than recent years for the same period. The risk for the general public remains low.
Wild birds and poultry
Between 29 November 2025 and 27 February 2026, authorities reported 406 outbreaks of HPAI in domestic birds and 2,108 in wild birds across 32 European countries. While detections in domestic birds were similar to the same quarter in the past two years, detections in wild birds were three times higher than last year and almost five times higher than two years ago – a legacy of the unusually intense autumn–winter peak. Since December, detections have moved onto a downward trajectory, in line with the expected seasonal pattern towards spring.
On poultry farms, most infections stemmed from indirect contact with wild birds and spread from farm to farm was rare. These findings underscore the importance of applying strong biosecurity measures to limit introduction from wildlife and farm-to-farm spread.
Mammals
While overall trends in cases in birds have declined since December, there has been a small rise in detections in mammals. For the first time in the EU, serology in an apparently healthy dairy cattle herd indicated past exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time to HPAI, suggesting a possible spillover from wild birds. Follow-up investigations are under way.
Links to science
Avian influenza overview December 2025–February 2026
Contact us
EFSA Press
For members of the press:
E-mail: press [at] efsa.europa.eu (Press[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu)
Tel. +39 0521 036 149
For more media resources, visit our Press corner
Ask a Question Service
For stakeholders and the public:
Have a question about EFSA’s work?
Contact our Ask a Question service!
Related topics
Animal health Avian influenza Page contents
Related changes
Get daily alerts for European Food Safety Authority
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from EFSA.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when European Food Safety Authority publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.