An unusually early surge of bird flu across Europe and North America is triggering widespread alarm as outbreaks sweep through both wild bird populations and commercial poultry farms, leading to mass culling and renewed fears over food supply disruptions and price spikes. The highly pathogenic avian influenza strain responsible for the crisis has already devastated poultry sectors multiple times in recent years, and the fast-rising number of cases suggests that the virus remains entrenched rather than seasonal. Human transmission remains extremely rare, but the scale of circulation in birds is prompting concern among veterinary and public-health authorities.
In the United States, the situation has intensified far more rapidly than in past years. By mid-November, 107 outbreaks had already been confirmed—almost four times the total recorded at the same point last year. Minnesota, the country’s largest turkey producer, reported its first case nearly two months earlier than in 2022, and states such as Michigan have warned that the disease is appearing well ahead of the usual autumn timeline. More than eight million birds have been culled since September, slightly higher than the same period last year, and agriculture officials say the pattern fits a multi-year global outbreak that has not yet run its course. Canada, despite having a smaller poultry industry, has also culled close to eight million birds this season, with officials describing the scale of infection among wild birds as increasingly alarming.
Europe is facing an even more severe wave. Germany has recorded its highest number of outbreaks in three years, while continent-wide surveillance detected 1,443 cases in wild birds across 26 countries between early September and mid-November—a four-fold increase compared with the same period last year and the highest figures since 2016. Scientists say that a major change this season is that bird flu is appearing earlier and in different species. Common cranes, which migrate sooner than ducks, geese and swans, are believed to be driving early transmission across Europe, with large die-offs reported in Germany and France. French authorities placed the national poultry industry on high alert in October, weeks earlier than usual.
The picture in Asia is mixed. Most countries are reporting normal seasonal patterns, but Cambodia stands out with severe outbreaks, and Japan has already culled roughly 1.65 million birds since confirming its first case in late October. Although the World Organisation for Animal Health says there is no cause for immediate public-health panic, it notes that the scale and timing of the outbreaks demand close monitoring of how the virus itself may be evolving.
Overall, the early arrival of the flu season, high levels of infection among migratory birds, and rapid spillover into farmed poultry are combining to create the most serious global bird-flu risk since the major waves of recent years—renewing fears of supply shortages, economic strain on farmers, and continued volatility in the global food market.
