In July of this year, a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreak was confirmed on a small domestic chicken farm in the Znojmo region.
Genetic testing confirmed the presence of the DI.2 genotype, one of the main variants of the virus currently spreading across Europe in 2025. According to data from the European Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, the virus had not been detected in Central Europe one month prior to the outbreak being confirmed in the Czech Republic. Only isolated cases had been reported in wild birds in the northern Netherlands and on the border between Spain and Portugal. The detection of the H5N1 virus in poultry in the Czech Republic during the summer is extremely unusual. However, this case confirms that H5N1 viruses continue to circulate in wild bird populations. The source of the infection could not be determined.
