Urgent measures to control the spread of the disease
Valladolid, 20 Nov. 2025. The Junta de Castilla y León has allocated €6.5 million to implement control measures against outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu, detected in the region during 2025. This fund, managed through an emergency procedure, covers costs arising from the culling of animals, the destruction of production assets, and the cleaning and disinfection of affected premises.
The objective of these actions, regulated at both EU and national level, is to prevent the spread of the virus and minimise the economic impact on the poultry sector.
This amount covers only costs arising from the culling, cleaning and disinfection of the affected livestock holdings
Rapid response to restore normality
The Minister of Economy and Finance and spokesperson for the Junta, Carlos Fernández Carriedo, emphasised at a press conference the agility and speed with which the regional government has acted to enable farms to resume their operations in the shortest possible time. According to Carriedo, without this financial support, many holdings would be unable to recover due to the high costs associated with the crisis.
He also announced that compensation payments for the restocking and acquisition of birds will be approved shortly. To date, seven outbreaks have been recorded in the region — none in the past month — resulting in the culling of 2.1 million birds. Despite this apparent lull, the spokesperson warned that the risk remains at a maximum level, as the disease spreads easily, particularly in areas frequented by migratory birds.
Economic impact and supply security
Avian influenza has had a twofold economic impact:
- On the production sector and employment, which will be affected until holdings restore their activity.
- On consumers, due to the rise in egg prices, a staple commodity in a context of high inflation.
Carriedo reassured the public by confirming that there is no risk of supply shortages, as Castilla y León is one of Spain’s leading egg-producing regions and the country produces more eggs than it consumes.
Coordination and prevention
The regional departments of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Health, and Environment are working in a coordinated manner to control and monitor the outbreaks. They also maintain permanent contact with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to adopt measures that reduce the risk of spread.
The Junta stresses the importance of reinforcing biosecurity measures on poultry holdings to prevent contact with wild birds and of reporting any suspicion immediately. Although the virus is not transmitted to humans through the consumption of cooked poultry meat, eggs or derived products, it is recommended to avoid contact with birds showing symptoms or found dead in the field.
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 farm of 7,000 turkeys in Extremadura
-. 2nd outbreak (28 July, Toledo): Second AI outbreak detected, this time in breeder flocks 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 a farm of 8,400 poultry in Valverde del Camino, Huelva, Andalusia
-. 6th outbreak (19 Sept., Valladolid): H5N1-type AI detected on a farm of 760,000 laying hens 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 farm of 66,000 laying hens.
-. 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
No new outbreaks have been recorded on poultry farms since 20 October (updated as of 20 Nov. 2025)
To find out more:
-. Avian Influenza on NeXusAvicultura
Want to stay one step ahead in poultry production?
Subscribe free to our eNewsletter and receive a weekly selection
of the best information to anticipate trends, stay up to date and grow as a poultry industry professional.
NeXusAvicultura: Vision, Insight, Quality and Context.