Spain reports major bird flu outbreak on turkey farm, first one in than two years

SPAIN – A deadly outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has struck a turkey farm in southwestern Spain, killing nearly an entire flock and marking the country’s first farm-based case of H5N1 bird flu in more than two years.

The outbreak occurred in the municipality of Ahillones in Badajoz, Extremadura, and was confirmed by Spanish authorities through the Veterinary Health Alert Network (Rasve), according to a report submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). 

Officials said 6,895 turkeys perished from the virus, and the 10 remaining birds were culled as a precaution.

The incident adds to mounting global concern over the resurgence and evolution of the H5N1 strain, which has disrupted poultry industries, raised food prices, and increasingly spilt over into other species.

This farm outbreak comes on the heels of two other H5N1 detections in wild birds in Extremadura: one in Corte de Peleas (Badajoz) and another in Casar de Cáceres (Cáceres). Together, the cases signal rising viral activity in the region and highlight the ongoing role of wild birds in spreading the disease.

Health officials have noted that this is the first confirmed case on a Spanish farm since early 2023, ending a 30-month stretch without reported infections in commercial poultry operations.

A global trend of concern

The Spanish outbreak forms part of a broader pattern of H5N1 transmission that has plagued poultry farms across Europe, the Americas, and Asia since late 2024. This season has already surpassed last year’s in terms of the number of bird outbreaks.

Beyond poultry, the virus has also jumped to mammals at an alarming rate. Since 2022, there have been 982 recorded H5N1 outbreaks among mammals in countries including the United States, Canada, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Most recently, the virus has infected dairy cattle in several U.S. states, including Ohio, Texas, Michigan, and Kansas.

Though the risk to the general public remains low, health experts warn that those in close contact with infected animals, particularly farm workers, are at moderate risk. 

Between 2022 and February 2025, there were 74 confirmed human infections from H5 viruses in the Americas, 71 of which occurred in the U.S., including three new cases reported this year.

“The virus is mutating and requires ongoing monitoring to detect any signs of increased human-to-human transmission,” said the World Health Organization in a recent alert, emphasising the need for continued global vigilance.

CDC ends emergency response but remains watchful

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this month that it had deactivated its emergency response to H5N1 bird flu.

“As reports of animal infections with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus have declined and no human cases have been reported since February 2025, on July 2, 2025, CDC’s H5N1 emergency bird flu response was deactivated to transition back to regular program activity,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said.

Dr. Nirav Shah, former CDC principal deputy director, supported the move, saying: “The rationale is, in short, there haven’t been any human cases. And so there is not the need to sprint all-out every single day when there haven’t been human cases in a while.”

However, he cautioned that the CDC remains prepared to re-activate emergency measures if necessary. “It can literally be done in an afternoon,” he said.

As Spain confronts this latest outbreak, health and veterinary authorities are ramping up surveillance in the affected region to contain the spread and safeguard both animal and human health.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.