Outbreak Watch

H5N1 Avian Influenza

A live watch on the H5N1 bird-flu panzootic: detections, status and the events that matter across the regions Avicena tracks. Select a region to focus the overview, the numbers, the map and the key events.

A hen in a poultry shed, overlaid with a stylised influenza virus particle
On this page RegionsSituation Map Key EventsAffected Countries

Global

Ongoing panzootic Updated 28 Aug 2026

H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) is the most widespread bird-flu panzootic on record. Since 2021 it has moved through wild birds and poultry on every continent, crossed into dozens of mammal species and, in 2024, established a sustained reservoir in US dairy cattle. Human cases stay rare and mostly occupational, but the reach of the virus and its repeated jumps into mammals keep global pandemic-preparedness attention high.

  • Key Facts
  • 1,000 human cases and 479 deaths across 25 countries since 2003, a 47.9 percent case fatality ratio (WHO cumulative table, data in HQ as at 7 Jul 2026).
  • More than 2,000 animal outbreaks reported by 64 countries and territories in 2025 to 2026 (WOAH State of the World's Animal Health 2026)
  • Ongoing panzootic of clade 2.3.4.4b, now on every continent including Antarctica
  • First H5N1 in dairy cattle recorded in the US in March 2024
  • Reached Australia in June 2026 and New Zealand in July 2026, the last continents affected
  • The strain now circulating has caused 141 reported human cases and 24 deaths worldwide in six years, 71 of them in the United States.
  • About 140m farmed birds have died or been culled worldwide since January 2025
  • Detections span both birds and mammals: more than 60 mammal species worldwide, and 94 bird species in the Americas alone between Jan 2025 and Mar 2026.

By the Numbers

140M
Farmed birds lost
Dead or culled worldwide since Jan 2025
1,000
Human cases
Since 2003, WHO, as at 7 Jul 2026
479
Deaths
47.9 percent case fatality
70
Countries & territories
Affected since 2021
H5N1 Bird Flu Detections 96 locations tracked

Key Events 35 entries

Every Affected Country

Every country and territory with a confirmed H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) detection since 2021, grouped by region. Sub-national detail is shown for the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Africa 8 countries

NigeriaWidespread & entrenched

Ongoing poultry; 45+ events since early 2025 (main W. Africa hotspot)

First reported 2021 (renewed 2025)
Where Lagos; Kano; Plateau
South AfricaSeasonal

Poultry outbreaks since Sep 2025; coastal seabirds

First reported 2021/22 (renewed 2025)
Where Western Cape; Gauteng; KwaZulu-Natal
Côte d'IvoireRecently arrived

~95,000 poultry deaths (Tankessé outbreak)

First reported Mar 2026
Where Tankessé; Abidjan; Bouaké
GhanaEmerging

Poultry events

First reported 2025
Where Tema; Accra; Kumasi
LiberiaRecently arrived

First detection early 2025

First reported 2025
Where Monrovia; Buchanan; Robertsport
NamibiaEmerging

Wild birds

First reported 2025
Where Walvis Bay; Etosha fringes; Lüderitz
NigerSporadic

Lab-confirmed activity

First reported 2024/25
Where Niamey; Tillaberi; Maradi
TogoRecently arrived

Poultry

First reported 2025
Where Lomé; Kara; Plateaux

Antarctic 4 countries

South GeorgiaWidespread in wildlife

First sub-Antarctic detection (skuas, Bird Island); high elephant-seal/fur-seal mortality

First reported Oct 2023
Where Bird Island; St Andrews Bay; Gold Harbour
AntarcticaEstablished in wildlife

Reached the Antarctic mainland (Peninsula, 2024): skuas & penguins; part of the wider sub-Antarctic wildlife toll

First reported 2024
Where Antarctic Peninsula; Ross Sea approaches
Heard Island (Australia)Established in wildlife

Heard Island: elephant seals, fur seals, penguins & seabirds

First reported Oct 2025
Where Atlas Cove; Spit Bay
Falkland IslandsEmerging

Seabirds (fulmar, black-browed albatross)

First reported Oct 2023
Where Stanley; Pebble Island; Saunders Island

East Asia 4 countries

ChinaSeasonal

Wild & domestic birds; poultry events; human H5 cases (mixed clades)

First reported 2021
Where Qinghai; Guangdong; Poyang Lake
JapanSeasonal

Recurrent poultry & wild birds; fox & crow detections

First reported 2021
Where Hokkaido; Izumi; Kagoshima
South KoreaSeasonal

Recurrent poultry / wild birds

First reported 2021
Where Gyeonggi; Jeolla; Cheonsu Bay
TaiwanSeasonal

Poultry / environmental activity

First reported ongoing
Where Tainan; Yunlin; Kaohsiung

Europe 27 countries

FranceWidespread & entrenched

Major poultry burden; re-emergence 2025-26; vaccination programme; captive-wildlife cases

First reported 2021
Where Vendee; Brittany; Camargue
GermanyWidespread & entrenched

Very high wild-bird activity 2025-26; recurrent poultry; cats/carnivores

First reported 2021
Where Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; Rugen; Lower Saxony
NetherlandsWidespread & entrenched

Recurrent poultry; cat-linked farm + dairy-cow antibodies (Friesland 2026)

First reported 2021
Where Friesland; Flevoland; Wadden Sea
PolandWidespread & entrenched

Heavy poultry & wild-bird burden 2025-26 (most EU outbreaks)

First reported 2021
Where Dolnośląskie; Zachodniopomorskie; Vistula Lagoon
AustriaSeasonal

Wild birds; minor poultry

First reported 2021
Where Carinthia; Danube wetlands; Lake Neusiedl
BelgiumSeasonal

Continuing poultry outbreaks (lower level)

First reported 2021
Where Flanders; Antwerp; Limburg
BulgariaSeasonal

Recurrent poultry

First reported 2021
Where Plovdiv; Varna; Burgas
Czech RepublicSeasonal

Recurrent poultry; mammal detections

First reported 2021
Where South Bohemia; Moravia; Elbe basin
DenmarkSeasonal

Recurrent poultry / wild birds

First reported 2021
Where Jutland; Zealand; Wadden Sea
FinlandSeasonal

Wild birds; first human H5 vaccinations (2024)

First reported 2021
Where Southern Finland; Turku archipelago; Gulf of Bothnia
HungarySeasonal

Poultry cluster; mammal detections

First reported 2021
Where Bács-Kiskun; Csongrád; Hortobágy
IcelandSeasonal

Wild birds

First reported 2022
Where Reykjavík area; Snæfellsnes; Vestfirðir
IrelandSeasonal

Recurring wild birds; poultry outbreaks

First reported 2021
Where Wexford; Cork; Dublin Bay
ItalySeasonal

Recurrent poultry; wild birds

First reported 2021
Where Veneto; Lombardy; Po Delta
NorwaySeasonal

Wild mammals (Svalbard polar bear/walrus); sheep antibodies (2025)

First reported 2021
Where Svalbard; Nordland; Varanger
RomaniaSeasonal

Wild birds (Danube Delta)

First reported 2021
Where Danube Delta; Constanța; Tulcea
SlovakiaSeasonal

Recurrent poultry

First reported 2021
Where Nitra; Bratislava; Danube plain
SpainSeasonal

Poultry outbreaks; first mink-farm event (2022); 2 asymptomatic worker cases

First reported 2021
Where Galicia; Carral; Catalonia
SwedenSeasonal

Wild birds; harbour seal & red fox (2026)

First reported 2021
Where Gothenburg; Norrtälje; Baltic coast
Bosnia & HerzegovinaRecently arrived

Poultry (Republika Srpska)

First reported Nov 2021
Where Republika Srpska; Banja Luka; Sava basin
EstoniaSporadic

Wild birds; 1 mammal (2026)

First reported 2021
Where Saaremaa; Tallinn Bay; Pärnu
LithuaniaSporadic

Wild birds

First reported 2022
Where Curonian Lagoon; Klaipėda; Kaunas
LuxembourgSporadic

Wild birds

First reported 2025
Where Luxembourg City; Moselle; Ardennes
MoldovaRecently arrived

Wild birds

First reported Jan 2022
Where Chișinău; Dniester wetlands; Balti
MontenegroRecently arrived

Poultry

First reported Apr 2022
Where Bijelo Polje; Podgorica; Lake Skadar
SloveniaSporadic

Wild birds

First reported 2022
Where Ljubljana Marshes; Drava; Adriatic coast
SwitzerlandSporadic

Wild birds (lakes)

First reported 2021
Where Lake Constance; Geneva; Zürichsee

Middle East 2 countries

EgyptEndemic in poultry

Clade 2.3.4.4b endemic in poultry

First reported pre-2021 (endemic)
Where Nile Delta; Cairo; Giza
IsraelSeasonal

Mass crane mortality (2021); recurrent poultry

First reported 2021
Where Hula Valley; Agamon Hula; Galilee

North America 9 countries

CanadaWidespread & entrenched

Widespread wild birds; recurrent poultry (Fraser Valley); cat case 2026; 1 human case (BC teen, 2024)

First reported Nov 2021
Where British Columbia; Fraser Valley; Quebec; Ontario
British ColumbiaAlbertaOntarioQuebecNewfoundland & Labrador
United StatesWidespread & entrenched

Dairy-cattle reservoir (from Mar 2024), 400+ recent poultry outbreaks, spillover to sea lions, seals, cats; human cases incl. dairy workers

First reported Jan 2022
Where Texas; California; Colorado; Michigan
CaliforniaTexasColoradoIowaMichiganMinnesotaSouth DakotaKansasNew MexicoIdahoOhioGeorgia (US)OregonNew YorkWashington
Cayman IslandsRecently arrived

Domestic birds

First reported 2025
Where Grand Cayman; George Town
Costa RicaSporadic

Wild birds; limited poultry

First reported 2023
Where Puntarenas; Limon; Guanacaste
CubaSporadic

Wild birds; low poultry counts

First reported 2023
Where Havana; Matanzas; Pinar del Río
GuatemalaRecently arrived

Domestic-bird detections

First reported 2025
Where Guatemala Dept; Petén; Escuintla
HondurasSporadic

Wild birds; limited poultry

First reported 2023
Where Cortés; Atlántida; Choluteca
MexicoSporadic

Poultry outbreaks; 1 fatal human case (child, genotype D1.1)

First reported Oct 2022
Where Durango; Aguascalientes; Jalisco
PanamaSporadic

Poultry outbreak (early 2025)

First reported 2023
Where Panama; Darien; Chiriqui

Oceania 2 countries

AustraliaNow in mammals

Five mammal cases confirmed in seven days, all in South Australia: two long-nosed fur seals, two red foxes and Australia's first dolphin, at Goolwa on 28 Aug. 424 confirmed events across 6 states on state figures as at 29 to 31 Aug 2026, with Australia's first birds of prey confirmed in South Australia and Victoria, about 100 untestable dead penguins on King Island, and all 24 staff being withdrawn from Macquarie Island before the virus arrives. Every jurisdiction but Tasmania now reports events, not individual detections.

First reported Jun 2026
Where Cape Le Grand/Esperance (WA); Robe, Baudin Rocks, Beachport, Port MacDonnell, Mount Schank, Marion Bay, Kangaroo Island, the Yorke Peninsula, Troubridge Island, the Pages, Goolwa, Normanville and metro Adelaide (SA); Portland, Nelson, Clyde, Phillip Island, Mildura, the Mornington Peninsula, Colac-Otway and the Wimmera (VIC); Narooma and Wentworth (NSW); Moreton Island and Castaways Beach (QLD); Rocky Cape, King Island, Burnie, Stanley and Wynyard (TAS)
Western AustraliaSouth AustraliaNew South WalesQueenslandVictoriaTasmania
New ZealandRecently arrived

First cases near Wellington (skua, native kāhu); 550k hens locked down

First reported Jul 2026
Where Petone/Wellington; Wairarapa
Wellington region

South America 8 countries

ArgentinaWidespread & entrenched

Severe sea-lion/elephant-seal mortality (mammal-to-mammal evidence); poultry & backyard outbreaks

First reported Feb 2023
Where Punta Bermeja; Buenos Aires; Chubut
ChileWidespread & entrenched

>15,000 marine animals dead (first half 2023); sea lions; poultry (later freedom); 1 human case

First reported Dec 2022
Where Tocopilla; Antofagasta; Arica
PeruWidespread & entrenched

Extensive wild birds; major sea-lion mortality (2023)

First reported Nov 2022
Where Lima; Cajamarca; Paracas
ColombiaSeasonal

Wild birds; backyard-bird outbreaks (2026)

First reported 2022
Where Meta; Cartagena; Magdalena
EcuadorSeasonal

Poultry outbreaks; first human case (2023)

First reported Nov 2022
Where Cotopaxi; Guayas; Santa Elena
BoliviaSporadic

Poultry / wild-bird outbreaks

First reported 2023
Where La Paz; Santa Cruz; Cochabamba
BrazilEmerging

Wild birds & backyard outbreaks; mammal spillover

First reported May 2023
Where Rio Grande do Sul; Espírito Santo; Santa Catarina
UruguayEmerging

Wild-bird detections (Rocha 2026); sea lions

First reported Feb 2023
Where Rocha; Maldonado; Montevideo

South Asia 3 countries

IndiaSeasonal

Recurrent poultry (Bihar 2026); 1 human case (2024)

First reported Jan 2024
Where Bihar; Kerala; Maharashtra
BhutanRecently arrived

Poultry (2.3.4.4b reassortant)

First reported Feb 2026
Where Zhemgang; Thimphu
NepalRecently arrived

40 poultry events since Oct 2025

First reported Apr 2026
Where Kathmandu Valley; Chitwan; Terai

Southeast Asia 2 countries

PhilippinesEmerging

Duck outbreak

First reported 2026
Where Leyte; Luzon; Central Luzon
VietnamEmerging

48 poultry events since Oct 2025

First reported 2026 wave
Where Mekong Delta; HCMC hinterland; Red River Delta

UK 1 country

United KingdomSeasonal

Extensive wild birds; recurrent poultry across all four nations; world-first sheep infection (Yorkshire 2025); 1 human case (2022)

First reported Oct 2021
Where Yorkshire; Norfolk; Northern Ireland
EnglandScotlandWalesNorthern Ireland

Source: DAFF, state agriculture agencies (DPIRD, PIRSA, DPI), CSIRO ACDP. Updated as detections are announced, typically several per week. Other trackers: Ebola.