Madrid, 29 December 2025, 18:50 h. The Central Veterinary Laboratory (LCV) of Algete, as Spain’s National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, has officially confirmed the presence of HPAI subtype H5N1 in the latest 2025 outbreak, which occurred on Wednesday, 24 December, at a farm of 235,000 commercial laying hens in Bellpuig, Lleida.
With this outbreak — the first of 2025 in Catalonia and the 15th in Spain — the total number of farm birds affected amounts to 2,931,951, of which 94.38% were commercial layers, 2.81% breeders, 1.84% broilers and 0.97% turkeys.
Of the 15 outbreaks, 9 occurred on laying hen farms, 3 on turkey farms, 2 on breeder farms and 1 on a broiler farm.
The corresponding epidemiological investigation is under way in an attempt to identify the source of the virus; the most likely hypothesis is that the virus entered the index holding through indirect contact with wild birds.
Suspicion was triggered by the detection and notification to the Official Veterinary Services (OVS) of Catalonia of an abnormal increase in mortality on the farm. The OVS visited the holding immediately and proceeded to place it under preventive standstill, carried out the corresponding epidemiological survey, and collected official cloacal and tracheal swab samples from the affected birds.
The OVS immediately implemented the following control measures in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687:
- Immediate standstill of the affected holding and those located within a 10 km radius from the moment of suspicion.
- Ongoing culling of birds at the affected holding and official destruction of carcasses, feed and other fomites capable of transmitting the virus, in accordance with the provisions of ABAP (Animal By-Products) regulations.
- Conduct of the epidemiological survey with the aim of establishing the possible origin of the outbreak and identifying holdings potentially at risk through epidemiological links with the affected holding via movements of vehicles, products or workers.
- Establishment of a restriction zone around the outbreak: a 3 km protection zone and a 3–10 km surveillance zone. Within the 3 km radius there are 3 active commercial poultry holdings and 5 subsistence poultry holdings. Testing has already been carried out in this first perimeter, with all results returning negative. In the second perimeter, within a 10 km radius, there are 55 active commercial poultry holdings, 46 subsistence poultry holdings and 1 slaughterhouse. All have been placed under standstill (restriction of movements of birds and poultry products), biosecurity measures have been strengthened and they are being inspected by the OVS.
With this latest outbreak, the total number of HPAI outbreaks detected in Spain during 2025 rises to 15 outbreaks in poultry (1 in Extremadura, 3 in Castilla-La Mancha, 2 in Andalusia, 1 in Madrid, 7 in Castilla y León and 1 in Catalonia), 5 outbreaks in captive birds (in the Basque Country, Andalusia, Valencia and Madrid), 1 outbreak in subsistence birds in Madrid, and 143 cases in wild birds in Andalusia, Extremadura, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Navarra, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, the Valencian Community, the Community of Madrid and Catalonia.
The official RASVE list of Latest registered notifications of notifiable animal diseases in Spain, where the daily monitoring by the authorities can be consulted, has already been updated by the Ministry of Agriculture with this latest outbreak.
The need to maintain and reinforce adequate biosecurity measures on poultry holdings to prevent contact with wild birds is emphasised, as is the need to strengthen passive surveillance both in wild birds and on poultry holdings, reporting to the OVS any suspicion of disease — in particular, in the case of domestic poultry, detection of drops in water and/or feed consumption, reduced egg production, abnormally high mortality, or observation of other clinical signs compatible with the disease — in order to ensure the earliest possible detection of any new outbreak and to enable the adoption of the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the disease to other holdings.
For further information on Avian Influenza:
-. News on Vaccination of poultry farmers and personnel in contact with production birds to prevent zoonosis risks.
-. News on Vaccination of production birds to prevent AI outbreaks
-. 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 on a breeder farm 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 farm of 8,400 fattening turkeys 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. More than 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.
-. 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 broilers in Valladolid (from 20 Oct. to 24 Dec. there were no cases on poultry farms in Spain).
-. 15th outbreak (24 Dec., Lleida): Farm of 230,000 laying hens in Lleida hit by Avian Influenza on Christmas Eve
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