Spain, Poland report new Newcastle Disease outbreaks in poultry flocks

EUROPE – Fresh outbreaks of Newcastle disease have been detected in Spain and Poland after veterinary authorities confirmed new infections in poultry flocks in both countries, according to reports submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

In Spain, the latest outbreak was recorded in Castello De Rugat, where the virus infected a commercial flock of 200,040 laying hens, marking the 10th poultry farm in the country to be affected since December 2025 and the seventh case linked to the same municipality.

The new detection comes after Spain had remained free from Newcastle disease for nearly three years following its last reported outbreak in 2022.

However, the disease has resurfaced repeatedly in the Valencia region during the current wave.

Meanwhile, Polish veterinary authorities confirmed another outbreak in Wielowiczek involving a commercial mixed poultry operation with 35,283 birds, including laying hens, broilers, slaughter ducks, slaughter geese, turkeys, and guinea fowl.

The latest Polish case brings the total to nearly 150 poultry flocks infected since the country’s current Newcastle disease outbreak began in September 2024, reflecting continued transmission pressure within the sector.

Europe records wider spread

Elsewhere in Europe, Newcastle disease activity has continued to expand in 2026, with Germany reporting more than 40 outbreaks by late March after confirming its first case in February, which was the country’s first detection of the disease since 2008.

German authorities have culled more than 2 million birds following the outbreaks, with younger turkey flocks among the hardest hit due to lower vaccination coverage and rapid virus transmission.

Spain had also reported eight outbreaks in the Valencia region by mid-April 2026, with more than 600,000 birds affected across broiler and laying hen operations before the latest Castello De Rugat case was confirmed.

In the Baltic region, Latvia detected Newcastle disease in backyard chickens in late April, further extending the virus’s geographical spread across Europe.

Biosecurity concerns grow

Animal health authorities have linked the recent outbreaks to the highly virulent genotype VII.1.1 strain, which has circulated in Eastern Europe since 2023 and is associated with severe mortality in unvaccinated poultry flocks.

At the same time, Poland’s poultry sector is also dealing with widespread outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, with 130 farms in the country affected by the virus so far in 2026, according to WOAH data.

Authorities across Europe have responded with culling operations, movement restrictions, and expanded surveillance programmes, while poultry producers continue to review vaccination schedules and farm biosecurity measures to limit the further spread of the disease.

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