Poland Remains Europe’s Major HPAI Hotspot with 102 Poultry Outbreaks in Spring 2026

VNV News Desk | International Poultry News | July 2026

Poland remained the most affected European country for highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, in poultry during spring 2026, according to the latest monitoring update linked with EFSA, ECDC and the European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza.

The reporting period covered 28 February to 4 June 2026. During this period, 154 HPAI A(H5N1) outbreaks were reported in poultry across 12 European countries. Poland alone accounted for 102 outbreaks, representing nearly 66 percent of all poultry outbreaks recorded in Europe during the period.

The affected establishments in Poland involved more than 5.7 million birds. This represented around 88 percent of the 6.53 million birds linked with HPAI-affected poultry establishments across Europe during the same reporting period.

According to the report, HPAI transmission in Poland continued through multiple primary introductions and secondary spread between poultry flocks. Although overall avian influenza activity declined in Europe compared with the winter season, virus circulation remained active in Poland, keeping the country at the centre of Europe’s poultry-related HPAI situation.

Commercial Poultry Farms Most Affected

Additional epidemiological details were available for 97 of Poland’s 102 outbreaks. These cases were mainly reported in commercial turkey farms, laying hen units, breeder chicken farms and duck farms. Smaller numbers of outbreaks were also reported in broiler, goose and mixed-purpose poultry establishments.

Indirect contact with wild birds was considered the most likely source of introduction in 57 outbreaks. Indirect contact with poultry was identified as the probable source in another 20 cases. Direct contact with wild birds was reported in one outbreak, while the source of introduction remained unknown in 19 cases. Mortality was reported in 92 of the 97 investigated outbreaks.

Key Regions Reported in Poland

Most outbreaks were recorded in the Mazowieckie, Wielkopolskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie regions. The report also noted that only seven of the 97 establishments with available additional information had outdoor access, while the remaining farms operated without outdoor access.

This indicates that even indoor commercial poultry systems can remain vulnerable when virus circulation is high in the surrounding environment. For this reason, strict biosecurity, rapid disease reporting and controlled movement of birds remain essential for poultry-producing regions.

Why This Matters for the Poultry Industry

Across Europe, the number of HPAI outbreaks in poultry declined during spring compared with the winter period. However, Poland continued to account for the largest share of outbreaks, showing the need for strong surveillance and farm-level disease prevention measures.

For poultry-producing countries, including Pakistan, the situation provides an important lesson. Avian influenza control depends not only on farm-level protection but also on regional surveillance, rapid diagnosis, strong reporting systems and coordinated disease-control planning.

Veterinarians, poultry farmers, hatchery operators and policy planners should continue to focus on disease monitoring, movement control, wild bird risk management and practical biosecurity training. These measures are essential for protecting commercial poultry production and reducing economic losses linked with major disease outbreaks.

VNV Insight

The continued HPAI pressure in Poland shows that commercial poultry farms can remain at risk even when birds are kept indoors. The key lesson for the poultry sector is clear: biosecurity must be treated as a daily management system, not only as an emergency response during outbreaks.

For more updates on poultry disease control, visit Poultry News, Veterinary News and International News on The Veterinary News & Views.

Source Credit

Source: This report has been prepared by The Veterinary News & Views using information from Zootecnica Poultry Magazine, based on the latest quarterly monitoring update by EFSA, ECDC and EURL. Additional reference may be checked through the EURL Avian Flu Data Portal.