Overview
- ECDC tallied 2,896 A(H5) detections from September 6 to November 28 across 29 European countries, with 2,454 in wild birds and 442 in domestic flocks.
- The early surge is linked to extensive wild-bird circulation, with mass deaths among waterfowl and common cranes along German, French and Spanish flyways, and a slight rise in detections in foxes and domestic cats.
- Most poultry outbreaks are attributed to primary wild-to-farm introductions rather than farm-to-farm spread.
- Turkeys are disproportionately affected, and outbreaks have also been reported in vaccinated ducks.
- Human cases remain rare — 19 reported with two deaths in four countries — with no human-to-human transmission and a low risk for the EU/EEA public; EFSA expects detections to continue rising.