Bird flu cases have been rapidly increasing in Europe, with the virus arriving later this year due to a warm autumn delaying the migration of wild birds, which are the main carriers of the virus. This delay in migration has led to concerns for governments and the poultry industry, as bird flu can cause devastating effects on flocks and carries a risk of human transmission. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the EU reference laboratory (EURL) have released a joint report stating that the virus usually strikes during autumn and winter. However, this year, the rise in bird flu cases in Europe has been delayed compared to previous years.

The increase in outbreaks usually begins in early October, but this year it has only begun in November. This delay is attributed to the later autumn migration of several wild waterbird species following the warm autumn period. While there have been concerns about the spread of the severe bird flu virus, the ECDC has assessed that the risk of bird flu infection in Europe remains low for the general public. Despite some cases of mammal-to-mammal transmission, no mammal-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus in circulation in Europe has been observed. In Germany, approximately 30,000 ducks have been slaughtered on a farm in the Guetersloh area due to an outbreak of bird flu. This outbreak adds to the growing number of cases in countries such as France, Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

In response to the rise in cases, France has ordered a third dose of vaccine for ducks in high-risk areas and raised the risk level for bird flu to 'high'. Poultry farms in France are now required to keep birds indoors to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus. It is still too early to predict whether there will be a similarly high number of bird flu outbreaks as in previous years or a reduction due to the development of some level of immunity in previously affected wild bird species. However, ongoing monitoring and preventive measures are in place to minimize the spread and impact of bird flu in Europe.