Higher risk in winter

With the onset of falling temperatures in Europe, the risk associated with the circulation and spread of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus in wildlife is increasing, as a consequence of bird concentrations and migrations that occur at this time of year.

To date (21 October 2024), the presence of viral circulation in Spain is very limited, with a total of 12 cases detected since 1 July 2024 in non-poultry birds (including wild birds) in the Autonomous Community of Galicia, with no cases detected in poultry, meaning our country maintains its HPAI-free status.

Regarding the situation in the rest of the EU, the number of cases in both wild birds and poultry has begun to increase, with HPAI outbreaks detected in the last two weeks on 25 holdings across seven Member States, and the risk having been raised to “moderate” in some countries such as France and the United Kingdom.

In light of the above, the MAPA reminds of the need to reinforce biosecurity measures on poultry holdings, particularly those measures aimed at preventing contact with wild birds, as well as strengthening passive surveillance both on poultry holdings and in wild birds, notifying the official veterinary services of any suspected disease.

All information related to the disease can be found at the following link: Avian Influenza – MAPA.

For information on the disease in wild birds, including the protocol to follow upon finding suspected wild birds, it is recommended to consult the wildlife health surveillance guide in its section dedicated to AI: Wildlife Health Surveillance Guide – MAPA.

Source: MAPA

For further information:
-. Avian Influenza on NeXusAvicultura.com