A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in more than 760,000 layer hens at a large farm in central Spain.
Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture and the regional government of Castilla y León said the outbreak occurred at a poultry farm in Olmedo, in the province of Valladolid.
It was reported on 17 September after an unexpected rise in bird deaths and later verified by the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Algete.
All the hens have since been culled, and cleaning and disinfection of the premises is under way.
Movement in and out of the farm has been suspended, with controls extended to animals, vehicles, people and equipment linked to the site. A protection zone of three kilometres and a wider surveillance zone of 10 kilometres have been established.
Officials are also carrying out an epidemiological investigation to determine whether the case is connected to other outbreaks detected in recent weeks.
Across Europe, cases of bird flu are rising as autumn approaches. In Poland, two farms in the north — a goose farm and a turkey farm — were recently affected, with about 4,000 birds lost.
In the UK, new cases have been confirmed in Somerset and County Durham, with authorities maintaining strict biosecurity measures and surveillance zones around infected premises.
The Olmedo incident is the sixth outbreak of avian influenza in domestic poultry recorded in Spain this year.
The loss of 760,000 birds represents a significant blow to producers in Castilla y León, a region with a large poultry industry.
The outbreak has also raised concern ahead of the autumn–winter migration season, when the risk of transmission from wild birds typically increases.
