Abstract
Abstract Between 5 June and 28 August 2026, 110 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus detections were reported in domestic (7) and wild (103) birds in 12 countries in Europe. The number of detections remained at a seasonal low throughout the summer, continuing the decline observed since spring. In contrast to previous years, fewer colony‐breeding seabirds were affected, and the geographical range of detections was more limited. Further sporadic detections of HPAI A(H5) virus were reported in wild terrestrial carnivores and pinnipeds. Outside Europe, the epidemic continued in the Americas, where also the HPAI A(H7N3) subtype was detected in Mexico. Following its first introduction to mainland Australia, HPAI A(H5N1) virus spread within local wild bird populations and spilled over to terrestrial carnivores and marine mammals. In the US, the number of dairy cattle farms reportedly affected by HPAI A(H5N1) increased, while detections in captive American minks were reported for the first time. Between 5 June and 31 August 2026, 15 cases of avian influenza virus infection were publicly reported in humans (no fatal cases) in three countries and territories: Bangladesh (one A(H5N1) case), Cambodia (one A(H5N1) case) and China (13 A(H9N2) cases). All human cases reported exposure to poultry or a poultry environment prior to detection or onset of illness. Human infections with avian influenza viruses remain rare and no sustained human‐to‐human transmission has been documented. The risk posed by avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses currently circulating in Europe remains low for the general public in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and low‐to‐moderate for those occupationally or otherwise exposed to infected animals or contaminated environments.