Guilhem de Seze, specialist at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), said in statements published Tuesday by Il Post newspaper this avian flu risk is raised with approaching of the autumn migration, as the number of wild birds ramps up.

The first national case of avian flu was reported in mid-October 2021 at a turkey farm in the province of Ferrara, where the H5N1 virus was detected in 82.0% of animals tested.

At the moment, avian flu cases are mainly reported in farms in the north of the country, the second most affected in the European Union (EU) with 317 outbreaks, preceded by France (1,383 outbreaks).

The European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDC) assured that the risk of infection for humans “is generally low” and becomes moderate only for people who are more exposed for occupational reasons.

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