Europe and North America experiencing early wave of bird flu outbreaks

PARIS (Reuters) An early surge of bird flu cases affecting both wild birds and poultry across Europe and North America is causing fears of a repeat of past crises that forced mass culling and drove up food prices. The highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has previously led to the destruction of hundreds of millions of farmed birds, disrupting food supplies. Human infections remain uncommon.

Typically, outbreaks rise in the northern hemisphere during autumn migration, but this year infections emerged sooner and in larger numbers in Europe and the U.S. In the United States, 107 outbreaks were reported by November 18, nearly four times the total seen last year. Minnesota, the largest turkey-producing state, reported its first case two months earlier than in 2022.

"This is more than what we've observed in previous winter-fall migratory seasons," said Tim Boring, director of Michigans Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. "It seems to be part of the ongoing outbreak that has been continuing for several years." Since September, the U.S. has culled about 8 million birds, slightly more than last year, while Canada has also culled nearly 8 million birds despite having a smaller poultry population. Canadian Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald described the situation as "very worrisome," noting the increasing spread among wild birds.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said the early outbreaks are concerning but not a cause for public alarm. Gregorio Torres, head of WOAHs scientific department, explained that rising case numbers could have various explanations and stressed the importance of monitoring the virus itself.

In Europe, the outbreaks were also more severe than last year. Germany recorded its highest number of cases in three years. Between early September and mid-November, 1,443 bird flu cases were reported in wild birds across 26 European nations, a fourfold increase from the same period in 2024 and the highest since 2016, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

"This season is different because the types of birds affected are not the same as before. Contamination among wild birds is occurring earlier, and cases are now spreading to farmed birds," said Gilles Salvat, Deputy Director General of the French health security agency ANSES. Salvat highlighted common cranes, which migrate earlier than ducks, geese, and swans, as a key factor in the outbreak, which moved from northeast to southwest Europe, causing high fatalities in Germany and France. France raised its poultry alert in October, earlier than in previous years.

In Asia, the situation remained mostly stable, except in Cambodia, which faced severe outbreaks. Japan reported its first case on October 22, five days later than last year, with around 1.65 million birds culled so far.

Author: Sophia Brooks