First Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak in broilers detected in Spain in 2025
This new outbreak in Ataquines is the first to affect broilers in 2025, a year in which laying hens account for nearly 94% of all farm poultry affected by the disease in Spain.
The veterinary authorities of the Junta de Castilla y León notified, this Monday 20 October 2025, a new outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), subtype H5N1. The case has been confirmed on a farm with a flock of 54,000 broiler chickens in the municipality of Ataquines, province of Valladolid.
This outbreak is significant because, according to 2025 surveillance data, it is the first and only outbreak detected to date on a broiler farm. The affected holding is located on the boundary of the 10 km restricted zone established for the 12th confirmed outbreak on 15 October in Olmedo, which affected 315,000 laying hens.
Analysis of outbreaks in 2025
According to the numerical monitoring of Avian Influenza outbreaks in Spain based on official data that we have been carrying out throughout 2025, up to 20 October 2025 a total of 14 outbreaks on poultry holdings have been reported, affecting a total of 2,696,951 birds. These figures must be supplemented by cases in wild birds, which are not included in this table.
The breakdown by type of bird affected shows a clear prevalence in laying flocks:
| Bird type | Birds affected | Percentage of total | No. of outbreaks |
| Laying hens | 2,532,251 | 93.89% | 8 |
| Breeders | 82,300 | 3.05% | 2 |
| Turkeys | 28,400 | 1.05% | 3 |
| Broilers | 54,000 | 2.00% | 1 |
Source: NeXusAvicultura.com based on official MAPA data. Data updated as of 20 October 2025.
The outbreak in Ataquines (2025/14) is therefore the one that unfortunately opens the statistics for broiler farms this year. The majority of previous cases have been classified as primary infections (through contact with wild birds) or secondary infections, through contamination from nearby outbreaks, as has occurred in several cases within the municipality of Olmedo itself.
Control measures taken in Ataquines
Suspicion regarding this latest holding arose on 17 October, following the detection of a slight increase in mortality. The Official Veterinary Services (OVS) acted immediately, placing the farm under standstill and collecting samples that were subsequently confirmed as positive by the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Algete.
As part of the protocol, the following measures have been adopted:
- Culling of all birds on the holding.
- Official destruction of carcasses and potentially contaminated material.
- Establishment of a restricted zone affecting a further 16 commercial holdings in the area.
- Launch of an epidemiological investigation to determine the source of the outbreak, which is still under assessment.
The authorities stress the need to maintain and reinforce biosecurity measures on all poultry holdings.
Daily monitoring by the authorities can be consulted on the MAPA official list of Latest registered notifications of notifiable animal diseases in Spain.
For more information on Avian Influenza:
-. News on Vaccination of poultry farmers and personnel in contact with production poultry to reduce zoonosis risks.
-. News on Vaccination of production poultry to prevent AI outbreaks
-. Triple avian influenza alert: Portugal, Spain and Germany confirm cases on poultry farms. (5 Sept 2025)
-. Avian Influenza on NeXusAvicultura
Tracking of Avian Influenza cases on poultry farms in Spain in 2025:
-. 1st outbreak of 2025 (18 July, Extremadura): Alert over an Avian Influenza outbreak on a 7,000-turkey farm in Extremadura
-. 2nd outbreak (28 July, Toledo): Second AI outbreak detected, this time in breeder hens in Toledo
-. 3rd outbreak (1 Sept., Huelva): The spectre of H5N1 returns to Andalusia: 8,500 turkeys culled due to avian influenza in Huelva.
-. 4th outbreak (8 Sept., Guadalajara): Spain records its fourth AI outbreak of 2025, this time on a breeder farm in Guadalajara
-. 5th outbreak (9 Sept., Huelva): H5N1 positive confirmed on the 8,400-bird poultry farm in Valverde del Camino, Huelva, Andalusia
-. 6th outbreak (19 Sept., Valladolid): H5N1-type AI detected on a 760,000-layer farm in Valladolid
-. 7th, 8th and 9th outbreaks (1 Oct., Valladolid and Madrid): 552,000 laying hens affected by three new AI outbreaks in Madrid and Valladolid
-. 10th outbreak (6 Oct., Valladolid): Tenth Avian Influenza outbreak detected in Spain. Over 800,000 laying hens to be culled.
-. 11th outbreak (13 Oct., Valladolid): Eleventh Avian Influenza outbreak detected in Spain on a 66,000-layer farm in Valladolid.
-. 12th outbreak (15 Oct., Valladolid): 315,000 new laying hens affected in the latest outbreak
-. 13th outbreak (16 Oct., Toledo): 112,000 laying hens in Yeles, Toledo
-. 14th outbreak (20 Oct., Valladolid): 54,000 broiler chickens in Valladolid