An unusually early wave of bird flu is sweeping Europe, with more countries reporting outbreaks than at any point in the past 10 years.
This creates intense fears of a repeat of previous health emergencies that forced mass poultry cullings and drove up food prices across the continent.
The culprit, highly pathogenic avian influenza, is once again threatening poultry farms and supply chains.
Governments and producers are on high alert, wary of the economic and health risks posed by the virus, including potential trade disruptions and the spectre of another zoonotic pandemic.
Between August and mid-October, 56 outbreaks were confirmed across ten EU nations and the United Kingdom. Poland, the EU’s largest poultry producer, has been hit hardest, followed by Spain and Germany.
France’s national animal health agency, ESA, reported that this marks the earliest and widest geographic spread of the virus in over a decade.
While the number of outbreaks is still below the record levels seen in 2022, when Europe faced its worst bird flu crisis to date, the pace and breadth of this year’s infections are cause for concern.
In comparison, the same period last year saw 31 outbreaks across nine countries.
“The virus clearly hasn’t disappeared,” warned Yann Nedelec, head of the French poultry association Anvol, underscoring the persistent threat to the industry.