Germany’s bird flu cases at three-year high with ‘no relief in sight’

Reuters Germany has already recorded in 2025 its highest number of bird flu outbreaks in three years and there is no relief in sight, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute for Animal Diseases said, as Europe witnessed a sharp resurgence of the deadly disease.

The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, is a concern for governments and the poultry industry due to the devastation it can cause to flocks, the possibility of trade restrictions and a risk of a new pandemic. The virus had been detected on 122 farms and 1,125 wild bird infections by November 11, the FLI said. This is more than double the 46 cases in the whole of 2024 and compares with 208 outbreaks in the whole of 2022.

Bird flu is a seasonal disease carried by migrating wild birds. Outbreaks tend to appear in early autumn, rise strongly until the end of the year and peak in the spring.

It has led to the culling of more than 1 million poultry in Germany so far. While other countries in Europe have also seen a higher number of outbreaks this season, Germany is by far the worse affected.