2021-2022 the largest avian influenza epidemic in Europe ever
The 2021–2022 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epidemic season is the largest observed in Europe so far. The latest data from the joint EFSA, ECDC and EU reference laboratory report show a total of 2,467 outbreaks in poultry, 48 million birds culled in the affected establishments, 187 detections in captive birds, and 3,573 HPAI events in wild birds. Additionally, the geographical extent of the outbreak is unprecedented, ranging from Svalbard islands to South Portugal and eastern to Ukraine, affecting 37 European countries.
Despite the exceptionally large number of cases recently detected in poultry and birds as well as numerous transmission events of avian influenza to different mammal species, no human transmission has been observed in the EU/EEA in recent years. In addition, only a small number of human infections with asymptomatic or mild disease have been reported globally. Therefore, the overall risk to the population remains at low levels, but slightly higher to people in occupations where they are directly exposed to infected birds.
