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Madrid confirms that the mass death of storks in the Manzanares River is due to a severe outbreak of avian flu.
In addition to the "high pathogenicity" outbreak in Getafe, three more have been identified in Boadilla, Arganda, and Rivas. Firefighters are demanding the resignation of the head of emergency services due to a lack of information.
Jacobo Garcia
Madrid - DEC 11, 2025 - 11:59 EST
The Central Veterinary Laboratory, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, confirmed this Thursday the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the stork specimens that appeared dead at the end of last week in the vicinity of the Manzanares River.
The approximately 500 storks found not only in the waters of the Manzanares River, but also in the Perales del Río and La Marañosa areas, in the municipality of Getafe, were affected by a severe outbreak of avian influenza. Although initial results indicated a low incidence of the virus, the Regional Ministry of the Environment has now confirmed in a statement that further analysis has been conclusive and that it must therefore inform the other relevant authorities.
The analysis indicates that there are also three other hotspots located in Boadilla, Arganda del Rey and Rivas-Vaciamadrid, and that they affect birds that came to Spain from northern Europe in search of warmer temperatures.
“Many of them arrive with the avian flu virus, which is why deaths occur in the different municipalities where they land,” the Ministry pointed out, insisting that the virus has been detected and “spread rapidly” in 26 European countries in recent weeks.
The Minister of the Environment, Agriculture, and the Interior, Carlos Novillo, clarified that, for the moment, the virus has only been found in wild birds and that no poultry farms in the region have been affected. "We are pleased that the containment measures we have in place throughout Spain, which we are coordinating with the Ministry, are working," he added.
The Community of Madrid has reported the avian flu outbreak to the Veterinary Health Alert Network (RASVE) and to the municipalities in the area, primarily Getafe, the most affected, sending them a letter explaining the situation and offering a series of recommendations to prevent the outbreak from reaching poultry. In the letter, the regional government reminds them that it has “exclusive jurisdiction over agriculture and livestock.”
This illness is a variant of influenza A that is primarily transmitted through mucous membranes and has an effect on humans similar to seasonal flu. However, no cases of transmission through direct contact have yet been confirmed in Europe, and it cannot be acquired by consuming meat, eggs, or related products.
Among these measures, the most notable is the prohibition of raising birds outdoors, and non-commercial or family-run farms are required to be properly registered. Some measures affect parks and gardens in the Community of Madrid.
The affected municipalities include: Alcorcón, Arganda del Rey, Boadilla del Monte, Campo Real, Getafe, Leganés, Loeches, the south of Madrid capital, Majadahonda, Mejorada del Campo, Morata de Tajuña, Móstoles, Pinto, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Rivas-Vaciamadrid, San Martín de la Vega, Velilla de San Antonio and Villaviciosa de Odón.
The Madrid 112 Security and Emergency Agency (ASEM112) has appealed to the population of the Community of Madrid to not approach or touch any sick or dead animals and to call 112.
But the confirmation of the virus, a week after the first dead storks appeared, has sparked outrage among the firefighters who participated in the cleanup efforts in recent days. In fact, the Madrid Community firefighters' union, which represents seven out of every ten professionals in the region, is demanding the dismissal of the Director General of Emergencies, Pablo Cristóbal Mayoral, whom they hold responsible for the "deficient management of the undeclared outbreak" that has left more than 500 dead storks in the Manzanares River and that "seriously threatens the health of the population and the firefighters who have worked in the affected area," they say in their protest statement.
According to the letter they will release this Friday, “the Director General of Emergencies was completely absent during the deployment of personnel to remove dead birds. Therefore, the firefighters were not informed of the biological risk to which they were exposed, nor whether these professionals should follow preventive or therapeutic measures after their intervention.”
Firefighters criticize the authorities of the Community of Madrid, stating that any intervention involving biological risk carries a threat to health, and accuse them of not having adequately monitored the health of the firefighters involved in the removal of more than 500 dead birds, which were mainly found in the water.
All of Europe has suffered a brutal surge in cases of avian influenza in wild and domestic birds this year. In 2025, more than 100 outbreaks were reported in wild birds in Spain, affecting multiple autonomous communities such as Andalusia, Extremadura, Galicia, the Basque Country, and Castile and León.
https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/20...ote-de-gripe-aviar-de-alta-patogenicidad.html
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Published: December 12, 2025
Transparency to clarify the outbreaks of avian flu in Madrid
We demand clear and transparent information and request detailed data on the number of birds affected, the analyses carried out, and the management of the carcasses.
The analyses from the Central Veterinary Laboratory confirm that the episode in Getafe is due to a highly pathogenic strain, in an outbreak that already includes clusters in Boadilla del Monte, Arganda and Rivas-Vaciamadrid.
Over the past week, the appearance of several hundred dead white storks in the Manzanares River, in the municipality of Getafe (Community of Madrid), has generated enormous social and environmental concern. Analyses carried out by the Central Veterinary Laboratory, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, have confirmed that the dead storks were infected with a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak, and have also indicated the existence of three additional outbreaks in Boadilla del Monte, Arganda del Rey, and Rivas-Vaciamadrid. This definitive diagnosis significantly alters the initial understanding of the causes of the deaths.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Interior of the Community of Madrid, many of these birds come from northern Europe during their migration to warmer areas, which explains the presence of the virus in the region.
From last August until the end of November, at least 105 outbreaks of avian influenza have been recorded in wild animals in Spain, affecting a minimum of 2,000 birds of at least 25 different species. Likewise, during the same period, 14 outbreaks have been detected on poultry farms, leading to the culling of more than two and a half million birds and the implementation of strict confinement measures to curb the spread of the disease.
It has been more than six weeks since any cases of avian influenza were reported on farms, and among wild birds, there was a significant outbreak of more than 40 storks testing positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 subtype of avian influenza in the gravel pits of Albarreal, in the province of Toledo. Since then, there have only been a few isolated cases of seabirds, mainly gulls, in Galicia and the Basque Country, and a small outbreak in cranes in La Rioja.
The Getafe outbreak represents a significant quantitative shift, due to the large number of birds affected at once. For example, the more than one thousand dead cranes in Gallocanta appeared gradually, starting with a few initial cases and increasing as more cranes arrived from Central Europe, but this outbreak, according to reports, has been very sudden and seemingly isolated.
It is essential that, in places with a high concentration of birds, such as urban solid waste treatment centers, where, for various reasons, a significant number of them die, measures for the removal of corpses are intensified during times of health crisis, as soon as a minimal increase in mortality is observed, since, as in this case, it can be a key point for the transmission of the virus between different species.
It is essential to clarify in detail what happened in the Manzanares River and understand the scope of this avian flu outbreak. The organization points out that, although the avian flu virus is common in wild birds, highly pathogenic strains are precisely those that can cause mass die-offs, as has now been seen in this case. It is also important to determine what went wrong that led the initial diagnosis to identify a less pathogenic subtype of avian flu as the cause, which would not have caused the deaths.
In previous episodes in 2025, it has been observed that some dead birds have tested positive for avian influenza even when the primary cause of death was something else (e.g., toxins), which underlines the need for investigation to rule out other possible pathologies or poisonings.
A significant portion of the storks wintering in Madrid obtain their diet mainly from urban waste, and landfills function as ecological traps that, in addition to providing "junk food", can contain toxic products and plastics capable of causing mortalities in birds.
As part of the 8th International White Stork Census, SEO/BirdLife coordinated the counting of breeding pairs in Spain throughout 2025. Although the overall results are not yet available, there are approximately 2,500 pairs of this emblematic bird in the Community of Madrid. The number of storks wintering in the region is around 10,000, largely originating from other European countries.
Avian flu map
SEO/BirdLife has made publicly available a map where confirmed or suspected episodes in wild birds in Spain are recorded , in which so far more than 100 episodes affecting some twenty species have been recorded, with special incidence in common cranes and yellow-legged gulls.
...
It remains essential to take precautions when noticing bird deaths, to notify the authorities by calling 112, and to prevent pets from approaching the carcasses.
https://seo.org/transparencia-para-aclarar-los-focos-de-gripe-aviar-en-madrid/
Madrid confirms that the mass death of storks in the Manzanares River is due to a severe outbreak of avian flu.
In addition to the "high pathogenicity" outbreak in Getafe, three more have been identified in Boadilla, Arganda, and Rivas. Firefighters are demanding the resignation of the head of emergency services due to a lack of information.
Jacobo Garcia
Madrid - DEC 11, 2025 - 11:59 EST
The Central Veterinary Laboratory, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, confirmed this Thursday the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the stork specimens that appeared dead at the end of last week in the vicinity of the Manzanares River.
The approximately 500 storks found not only in the waters of the Manzanares River, but also in the Perales del Río and La Marañosa areas, in the municipality of Getafe, were affected by a severe outbreak of avian influenza. Although initial results indicated a low incidence of the virus, the Regional Ministry of the Environment has now confirmed in a statement that further analysis has been conclusive and that it must therefore inform the other relevant authorities.
The analysis indicates that there are also three other hotspots located in Boadilla, Arganda del Rey and Rivas-Vaciamadrid, and that they affect birds that came to Spain from northern Europe in search of warmer temperatures.
“Many of them arrive with the avian flu virus, which is why deaths occur in the different municipalities where they land,” the Ministry pointed out, insisting that the virus has been detected and “spread rapidly” in 26 European countries in recent weeks.
The Minister of the Environment, Agriculture, and the Interior, Carlos Novillo, clarified that, for the moment, the virus has only been found in wild birds and that no poultry farms in the region have been affected. "We are pleased that the containment measures we have in place throughout Spain, which we are coordinating with the Ministry, are working," he added.
The Community of Madrid has reported the avian flu outbreak to the Veterinary Health Alert Network (RASVE) and to the municipalities in the area, primarily Getafe, the most affected, sending them a letter explaining the situation and offering a series of recommendations to prevent the outbreak from reaching poultry. In the letter, the regional government reminds them that it has “exclusive jurisdiction over agriculture and livestock.”
This illness is a variant of influenza A that is primarily transmitted through mucous membranes and has an effect on humans similar to seasonal flu. However, no cases of transmission through direct contact have yet been confirmed in Europe, and it cannot be acquired by consuming meat, eggs, or related products.
Among these measures, the most notable is the prohibition of raising birds outdoors, and non-commercial or family-run farms are required to be properly registered. Some measures affect parks and gardens in the Community of Madrid.
The affected municipalities include: Alcorcón, Arganda del Rey, Boadilla del Monte, Campo Real, Getafe, Leganés, Loeches, the south of Madrid capital, Majadahonda, Mejorada del Campo, Morata de Tajuña, Móstoles, Pinto, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Rivas-Vaciamadrid, San Martín de la Vega, Velilla de San Antonio and Villaviciosa de Odón.
The Madrid 112 Security and Emergency Agency (ASEM112) has appealed to the population of the Community of Madrid to not approach or touch any sick or dead animals and to call 112.
But the confirmation of the virus, a week after the first dead storks appeared, has sparked outrage among the firefighters who participated in the cleanup efforts in recent days. In fact, the Madrid Community firefighters' union, which represents seven out of every ten professionals in the region, is demanding the dismissal of the Director General of Emergencies, Pablo Cristóbal Mayoral, whom they hold responsible for the "deficient management of the undeclared outbreak" that has left more than 500 dead storks in the Manzanares River and that "seriously threatens the health of the population and the firefighters who have worked in the affected area," they say in their protest statement.
According to the letter they will release this Friday, “the Director General of Emergencies was completely absent during the deployment of personnel to remove dead birds. Therefore, the firefighters were not informed of the biological risk to which they were exposed, nor whether these professionals should follow preventive or therapeutic measures after their intervention.”
Firefighters criticize the authorities of the Community of Madrid, stating that any intervention involving biological risk carries a threat to health, and accuse them of not having adequately monitored the health of the firefighters involved in the removal of more than 500 dead birds, which were mainly found in the water.
All of Europe has suffered a brutal surge in cases of avian influenza in wild and domestic birds this year. In 2025, more than 100 outbreaks were reported in wild birds in Spain, affecting multiple autonomous communities such as Andalusia, Extremadura, Galicia, the Basque Country, and Castile and León.
https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/20...ote-de-gripe-aviar-de-alta-patogenicidad.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published: December 12, 2025
Transparency to clarify the outbreaks of avian flu in Madrid
We demand clear and transparent information and request detailed data on the number of birds affected, the analyses carried out, and the management of the carcasses.
The analyses from the Central Veterinary Laboratory confirm that the episode in Getafe is due to a highly pathogenic strain, in an outbreak that already includes clusters in Boadilla del Monte, Arganda and Rivas-Vaciamadrid.
Over the past week, the appearance of several hundred dead white storks in the Manzanares River, in the municipality of Getafe (Community of Madrid), has generated enormous social and environmental concern. Analyses carried out by the Central Veterinary Laboratory, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, have confirmed that the dead storks were infected with a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak, and have also indicated the existence of three additional outbreaks in Boadilla del Monte, Arganda del Rey, and Rivas-Vaciamadrid. This definitive diagnosis significantly alters the initial understanding of the causes of the deaths.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Interior of the Community of Madrid, many of these birds come from northern Europe during their migration to warmer areas, which explains the presence of the virus in the region.
However, in the case of storks, they have been in our latitudes for several months, so there is no indication that they have been carrying the virus. It is more likely that these are new infections from sick birds that have gone unnoticed by humans. It should be remembered that most migratory species arrived in Spain several weeks ago and that Madrid has a significant nesting population of storks, many of which remain in the region year-round.
From last August until the end of November, at least 105 outbreaks of avian influenza have been recorded in wild animals in Spain, affecting a minimum of 2,000 birds of at least 25 different species. Likewise, during the same period, 14 outbreaks have been detected on poultry farms, leading to the culling of more than two and a half million birds and the implementation of strict confinement measures to curb the spread of the disease.
It has been more than six weeks since any cases of avian influenza were reported on farms, and among wild birds, there was a significant outbreak of more than 40 storks testing positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 subtype of avian influenza in the gravel pits of Albarreal, in the province of Toledo. Since then, there have only been a few isolated cases of seabirds, mainly gulls, in Galicia and the Basque Country, and a small outbreak in cranes in La Rioja.
The Getafe outbreak represents a significant quantitative shift, due to the large number of birds affected at once. For example, the more than one thousand dead cranes in Gallocanta appeared gradually, starting with a few initial cases and increasing as more cranes arrived from Central Europe, but this outbreak, according to reports, has been very sudden and seemingly isolated.
It is essential that, in places with a high concentration of birds, such as urban solid waste treatment centers, where, for various reasons, a significant number of them die, measures for the removal of corpses are intensified during times of health crisis, as soon as a minimal increase in mortality is observed, since, as in this case, it can be a key point for the transmission of the virus between different species.
It is essential to clarify in detail what happened in the Manzanares River and understand the scope of this avian flu outbreak. The organization points out that, although the avian flu virus is common in wild birds, highly pathogenic strains are precisely those that can cause mass die-offs, as has now been seen in this case. It is also important to determine what went wrong that led the initial diagnosis to identify a less pathogenic subtype of avian flu as the cause, which would not have caused the deaths.
In previous episodes in 2025, it has been observed that some dead birds have tested positive for avian influenza even when the primary cause of death was something else (e.g., toxins), which underlines the need for investigation to rule out other possible pathologies or poisonings.
A significant portion of the storks wintering in Madrid obtain their diet mainly from urban waste, and landfills function as ecological traps that, in addition to providing "junk food", can contain toxic products and plastics capable of causing mortalities in birds.
We have requested detailed information from the Community of Madrid regarding this incident, including not only the species and individuals involved and the results of the analyses carried out by both the Madrid administration and the Central Veterinary Laboratory, but also the procedure followed for the removal and disposal of the carcasses—an essential aspect for the proper management of this crisis. SEO/BirdLife insists on the importance of clarifying this event and calls for full transparency in order to assess its impact and contribute effectively to the protection of birdlife.
As part of the 8th International White Stork Census, SEO/BirdLife coordinated the counting of breeding pairs in Spain throughout 2025. Although the overall results are not yet available, there are approximately 2,500 pairs of this emblematic bird in the Community of Madrid. The number of storks wintering in the region is around 10,000, largely originating from other European countries.
Avian flu map
SEO/BirdLife has made publicly available a map where confirmed or suspected episodes in wild birds in Spain are recorded , in which so far more than 100 episodes affecting some twenty species have been recorded, with special incidence in common cranes and yellow-legged gulls.
...
It remains essential to take precautions when noticing bird deaths, to notify the authorities by calling 112, and to prevent pets from approaching the carcasses.
https://seo.org/transparencia-para-aclarar-los-focos-de-gripe-aviar-en-madrid/