Valencia, 28 April 2026 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) has today confirmed a new Newcastle disease outbreak on a farm housing 38,900 broilers aged 28 days in the municipality of Ráfol de Salem (Vall d’Albaida, Valencia). With this, the official season tally rises to nine outbreaks, all located in the province of Valencia.
The holding lies within a 3 km radius of the two previous outbreaks (on a farm of 26,300 broilers and another of 32,000 laying hens in Ráfol de Salem) reported in the same municipality on 9 and 10 April.
What clinical signs were observed?
Suspicion was triggered on 24 April following the detection of apathy, tremors, facial oedema, fever, digestive symptoms and paralysis in some animals, with an initial mortality of approximately 50 birds. The Central Veterinary Laboratory in Algete confirmed by PCR the presence of a velogenic strain of the virus.
A notable fact: the birds had received three doses of Newcastle vaccine, which again demonstrates that vaccination reduces the risk of infection and viral shedding, but does not guarantee absolute protection against highly pathogenic strains, as MAPA itself acknowledges in its official statement.
A notable fact:
the birds had received three doses of vaccine
The measures applied are the standard ones under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687: immediate standstill, epidemiological investigation, sanitary depopulation with destruction of carcasses and feed, and establishment of restriction zones. One factor that may favour containment: of the 4 commercial farms within the 3 km radius, three are empty, and the 13 farms within the surveillance perimeter (3–10 km) are also empty.
MAPA insists on strengthening passive surveillance on farms and in wild bird populations, and underlines the role of vaccination as a tool to limit virus spread, even without conferring total protection.
detected in Ráfol de Salem (Valencia). Source: MAPA
Timeline of Newcastle outbreaks in Spain:
After more than three years (since 2022) without any Newcastle case in Spain, the situation has deteriorated in the Valencian Community since the resurgence of the disease in December 2025. The following are the outbreaks recorded up to 29 April 2026:
- The origin (Outbreak 1): The disease re-emerged in Spain in late December 2025 in the municipality of Llutxent (Valencia), on a farm of 15,000 chickens, breaking the disease-free status that Spain had maintained since 2022.
- The spread (Outbreaks 2, 3 and 4): On 2 January 2026, three new secondary outbreaks were confirmed in the same municipality, affecting farms with flocks of 28,500, 16,500 and 20,100 birds. The investigation pointed to geographical proximity and links between owners as transmission factors.
- The fifth case (20 January 2026) on a farm of 75,000 broilers.
- Sixth outbreak (9 March 2026) in Terrateig, affecting a single shed of 27,000 hens within a poultry complex.
- Seventh outbreak (9 April 2026) on a farm of 26,300 broilers and eighth outbreak (10 April 2026) on a farm of 32,000 laying hens. Both in Ráfol de Salem.
- Ninth outbreak (28 April 2026) on a farm of 38,900 broilers in Ráfol de Salem.
To learn more:
-. What is Newcastle Disease?
-. National Newcastle Surveillance Programme 2026. (14-page MAPA PDF published in May 2025)
-. Main page on Newcastle Disease Control from MAPA
-. Newcastle Disease on NeXusAvicultura
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