12 March 2026
According to a joint scientific report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL), there has been a steady decline in the number of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections across Europe following a sharp peak at the beginning of the December 2025 to February 2026 reporting period. During this timeframe, a total of 2,514 HPAI A(H5) virus detections were reported in 32 countries, with the majority occurring in wild birds (2,108) and 406 detections in domestic poultry and captive birds. Notably, over 90% of the outbreaks in poultry were attributed to primary introductions from wild birds rather than farm-to-farm spread, suggesting that current biosecurity and vaccination strategies in certain regions, such as France, have been effective in limiting secondary transmission.
The sustained high level of viral circulation in wild populations, particularly among waterfowl and common cranes, has led to a slight increase in spillover events to mammals. For the first time in Europe, serological evidence suggested a potential spillover of HPAI A(H5N1) from wild birds to dairy cattle in the Netherlands, mirroring recent trends observed in the United States. Genetic analysis reveals that the vast majority of sequenced viruses in Europe belong to the EA-2024-DI.2.1 genotype. Furthermore, 85% of mammalian cases studied exhibited molecular markers of adaptation, such as the PB2 E627K mutation, which were not identified in the phylogenetically related avian viruses.
