Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) stayed at a seasonal low in Europe during the summer of 2026, according to the latest quarterly overview from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), published on September 22, 2026. The report covers the period from June 5 to August 28, 2026.
Detections in birds
During those twelve weeks, 110 detections of HPAI A(H5N1) virus were reported in birds in 12 European countries. Only 7 were in domestic birds; the other 103 were in wild birds. The numbers continued the decline that began in spring.
The report notes two differences from previous summers. Fewer colony-breeding seabirds were affected, and the geographical range of detections was more limited.
Detections in mammals
Sporadic HPAI A(H5) detections continued in wild terrestrial carnivores and in pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) in Europe. Outside Europe, the virus was reported in dairy cattle in the United States, in captive American mink, which the report lists as a first, and in terrestrial carnivores and marine mammals in Australia.
Human cases
Between June 5 and August 31, 2026, 15 human cases of avian influenza were reported worldwide, none of them fatal. They occurred in three countries: one A(H5N1) case in Bangladesh, one A(H5N1) case in Cambodia, and 13 A(H9N2) cases in China. All patients had been exposed to poultry or poultry environments before falling ill.
Risk assessment
EFSA and ECDC assess the risk to the general public in the EU/EEA as low. For people who are exposed to infected animals or contaminated environments through their work or otherwise, the risk is assessed as low to moderate.
Looking ahead to autumn
In Europe, HPAI detections usually rise again in autumn, when migratory wild birds arrive and gather at wintering sites. Low summer numbers do not mean the virus has disappeared: it continues to circulate in wild birds and to reach mammals on several continents.
For veterinary and public health laboratories, this is the period to check that surveillance is ready. Real-time RT-PCR targeting the influenza A matrix gene, followed by H5 subtyping and pathotyping, remains the standard approach for detecting HPAI in samples from poultry, wild birds, and mammals. Sufficient stock of validated reagents and clear sampling plans for the autumn migration season help laboratories respond quickly when detections increase.