Madrid, 1 April 2026 10:00 AM – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food lifts the confinement of poultry following an improvement in the avian influenza risk situation, by means of a ministerial order published today in the BOE
The restriction remains in place, for the time being, in areas classified as being of special risk and surveillance — 1,201 municipalities, including the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Spain was declared free of highly pathogenic avian influenza on 10 February by the World Organisation for Animal Health
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has ordered the lifting of the confinement of all poultry, following confirmation of the improvement in the high-risk avian influenza situation, by means of an order published today in the Official State Gazette.
The confinement remains in place in areas classified as being of special risk and surveillance, which comprise 1,201 municipalities across all autonomous communities:
1,199 from Andalusia (197),
Aragon (128),
Canary Islands (1),
Cantabria (31),
Castile and León (250),
Castile-La Mancha (18),
Catalonia (224),
Community of Madrid (16),
Valencian Community (138),
Extremadura (99),
Galicia (40),
Balearic Islands (14),
La Rioja (6),
Navarre (12),
Basque Country (6),
Principality of Asturias (8),
Region of Murcia (11),
plus the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
The special risk and special surveillance zones are defined, respectively, in Annexes II and III of Order APA/2442/2006, of 27 July.
On 13 November 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ordered the mandatory confinement of all free-range poultry in Spain as a reinforced preventive measure in response to the increased risk of avian influenza spreading, a highly infectious disease. The measure aimed to prevent possible contact between farm birds and migratory birds that could be carriers of the virus. One week earlier, the confinement of poultry in the aforementioned special risk and surveillance zones had already been ordered.
Since that date, weekly monitoring of the epidemiological situation has been carried out. Now, taking into account the evolution of the disease in Spain and in the areas of origin of migratory bird movements, as well as the temperature forecast, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has deemed it appropriate to lift the general confinement across the entire national territory.
Detected cases of Avian Influenza in wild birds and detailed risk by region and country. This image is a screenshot of the situation on Friday 27 March 2026; to view the updated risk in real time, visit BIRD FLU RADAR
Since 1 July 2025 and to date, 16 avian influenza outbreaks have been recorded in production farms in Spain. The most recent occurred on 13 January in the province of Lleida. Spain has already been declared free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since 10 February by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OMSA), although preventive measures such as the confinement of all poultry were maintained due to the high-risk situation caused by migratory bird movements from areas of Europe with a high incidence of the disease.
The avian influenza has mainly affected wild birds, with 165 outbreaks reported since July, in addition to six in captive birds.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food reminds the sector that, despite the lifting of the confinement, it is necessary to maintain and reinforce biosecurity measures on poultry farms to prevent contact with wild birds, as well as to strengthen passive surveillance, both on these farms and on poultry holdings. Any suspicion of disease must be reported to the official veterinary services, particularly in the case of domestic poultry.
The avian influenza virus cannot be transmitted to humans through cooked poultry meat, eggs or processed products derived from them; however, it is recommended in all cases to minimise unnecessary contact with birds showing clinical signs or found dead in the field.
Source:
-. MAPA: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food lifts the confinement of poultry following an improvement in the avian influenza risk situation
To find out more:
-. Avian Influenza on NeXusAvicultura
-. Mandatory confinement in Spain
-. News on Vaccination of poultry farmers and personnel in contact with production birds to prevent zoonosis risks.
-. News on Vaccination of production birds to prevent AI outbreaks
Tracking of Avian Influenza cases on poultry farms in Spain in 2025:
-. 1st outbreak of 2025 (18 July, Extremadura): Alert following an Avian Influenza outbreak on a farm of 7,000 turkeys in Extremadura
-. 2nd outbreak (28 July, Toledo): Second AI outbreak detected, this time in breeder hens in Toledo
-. 3rd outbreak (1 Sept., Huelva): The spectre of H5N1 returns to Andalusia: 8,500 turkeys culled due to avian influenza in Huelva.
-. 4th outbreak (8 Sept., Guadalajara): Spain records its fourth AI outbreak of 2025, this time on a breeder farm in Guadalajara
-. 5th outbreak (9 Sept., Huelva): H5N1 positive confirmed at the farm of 8,400 fattening turkeys in Valverde del Camino, Huelva, Andalusia
-. 6th outbreak (19 Sept., Valladolid): H5N1-type AI detected on a farm of 760,000 laying hens in Valladolid
-. 7th, 8th and 9th outbreaks (1 Oct., Valladolid and Madrid): 552,000 laying hens affected by three new AI outbreaks in Madrid and Valladolid
-. 10th outbreak (6 Oct., Valladolid): Tenth Avian Influenza outbreak detected in Spain. More than 800,000 laying hens to be culled.
-. 11th outbreak (13 Oct., Valladolid): Eleventh Avian Influenza outbreak detected in Spain on a farm of 66,000 laying hens.
-. 12th outbreak (15 Oct., Valladolid): 315,000 new laying hens affected in the latest outbreak
-. 13th outbreak (16 Oct., Toledo): 112,000 laying hens in Yeles, Toledo
-. 14th outbreak (20 Oct., Valladolid): 54,000 broiler chickens in Valladolid (from 20 Oct. to 24 Dec. there were no cases on poultry farms in Spain).
-. 15th outbreak (24 Dec., Lleida): Farm of 230,000 laying hens in Lleida severely affected by Avian Influenza on Christmas Eve
Tracking of Avian Influenza cases on poultry farms in Spain in 2026 :
-. 1st outbreak of 2026 (9 January, Lleida): First Avian Influenza outbreak of 2026 in Spain. Secondary to the 24 December outbreak in Bellpuig, occurring on a farm of 9,000 breeder hens.
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