Epicentre of deadly bird flu outbreaks shifts from Asia to Europe and Africa

Increase of virus in wild birds is driving evolution and spread of new strains, researchers found

The epicentre of deadly bird flu outbreaks has shifted from Asia to Europe and Africa, a new study has found.

For 25 years, bird flu viruses typically emerged from Asia, but major changes in the virus and its spread among wild birds mean the outbreaks are shifting. Research shows that while outbreaks in 2016 and 2017 started in China, two new H5 viruses emerged in 2020 in African poultry and in 2022 in European wild birds.