Between 28 February and 4 June 2026, 949 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus detections were reported in domestic (186) and wild (763) birds across 30 European countries, according to a scientific report published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 8 July 2026. The report, prepared jointly with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza (EURL), notes a continued downward trend in detections from the previous reporting period, expected to persist through summer. For the first time in Europe, A(H9N2) virus of clade G5.5 was detected in poultry. Sporadic HPAI detections in mammals, particularly wild carnivores, included A(H5N5) virus found in a polar bear and a walrus in Norway. Outside Europe, the focus of HPAI detections shifted from North to South America, with large outbreaks and mortality events in swans. Nineteen human cases of avian influenza virus infection were publicly reported in six countries and territories, including three fatal cases. Human infections remain rare, with no sustained human-to-human transmission documented. The risk for the EU/EEA general public is assessed as low, and low-to-moderate for those occupationally or otherwise exposed to infected animals or contaminated environments.
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