Europe is facing an unprecedented wave of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Between 6 September and 14 November 2025, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recorded 1,443 cases in wild birds distributed across 26 countries on the continent: a number four times higher than in the same period in 2024 and the highest ever documented since at least 2016.
The virus has affected ducks, geese and swans in particular, but also populations of common cranes, with high mortality in Germany, France and Spain. Precisely the intense circulation in aquatic species and the associated environmental contamination have led EFSA to recommend an immediate strengthening of surveillance, the adoption of stricter biosecurity rules on farms and the timely removal of wild bird carcasses to reduce viral spread.
The Italian situation
According to official updates from the Istituto Zooprophylattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), as of 21 November 2025, 20 outbreaks have been confirmed in Italian poultry farms, all caused by the H5N1 subtype.
The distribution of outbreaks in Italy is defined as “patchy”, with a clear concentration in the northern regions. Outbreaks in domestic poultry farms are distributed as follows:
The infection affected various types of farming: meat turkeys (the most affected), laying hens, broiler chickens, breeding chickens, pheasants and multi-species farms. Most outbreaks were quickly extinguished, with average containment times ranging between a few days and two weeks after case confirmation.
In addition to farms, the virus continues to circulate among wildlife, with detections especially in aquatic and migratory birds, contributing to environmental contamination and the risk of transmission to domestic animals.
Unaitalia reassures: “No risks linked to the consumption of meat and eggs”
When asked by Il Sole 24 Ore about the current situation, Unaitalia, a trade association for the poultry sector, reassures that the situation relating to avian influenza outbreaks is fully under control and that:
There is no danger to human health linked to the consumption of poultry meat or eggs. Transmission to humans is a rare event.
There are 15 outbreaks on commercial farms, plus another 5 in rural areas – numbers practically comparable to those recorded in the same period of 2024.
The association also reiterates the existence of the national strategic plan for the management of highly pathogenic avian influenza, developed by the Ministry of Health and the Istituto Zooprophylattico delle Venezie, which integrates biosecurity actions, territory management by risk groups and the targeted use of vaccination as an additional prevention measure.
The timely removal of wild bird carcasses is also fundamental, to reduce the risk of infection for other birds and mammals, both wild and domestic.
Despite the alert, European and Italian health authorities reassure the population: transmission of the virus to humans remains a rare event and there are no reasons for alarm for the general population.
The recent case of a death in the United States due to H5N5 infection has raised concern, but experts underline that the human infections recorded so far are attributable exclusively to direct contact with infected animals. No person-to-person transmission has been observed, which keeps the risk level for humans classified as low.
Avian influenza therefore remains primarily an infection affecting birds, and wild specimens represent the main reservoir of the viruses. Some strains have demonstrated the ability to pass to mammals, including cattle and companion animals, but continuous surveillance and preventive measures adopted allow the situation to be kept under control.
Sources: EFSA / IZSVe
