Bird flu is spreading fast across Europe, with the highest number of early outbreaks reported in at least ten years. Experts are worried this could lead to a repeat of past crises, when millions of birds were killed and food prices sharply increased.
The disease, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, spreads mainly through migrating wild birds. It poses a serious threat to both farm animals and global trade, as it often leads to poultry export bans and can even carry a small risk of infecting humans.
So far, ten European countries have reported outbreaks early in the season, the first time this has happened in over a decade. Although the total number of cases is still lower than in 2022, when Europe faced its worst-ever bird flu crisis, the early rise is alarming.
In France, the government has ordered poultry to be kept indoors and started its third nationwide bird flu vaccination campaign for farm ducks. France, one of the world’s top poultry exporters, says this move has helped control the disease.
Bird flu has also affected the United States and Asia, where millions of birds were culled. In the U.S. alone, over 180 million birds were destroyed, pushing up egg prices and even leading to infections in dairy cows and humans.
Meanwhile, Brazil, the world’s largest poultry exporter, has recently been declared free of bird flu, while Japan reported its first case of the season last week.
Health experts warn that the situation shows the virus is “far from gone” and that strong preventive measures are needed to stop another global crisis.