Newcastle Disease Strikes European Poultry Farms as Liberia Declares Eradication

Outbreaks of HPAI and now, recent outbreaks of New Castle Disease are keeping officials at World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) busier than last year. While European veterinary agencies face a growing mini crisis with a rapid surge of outbreaks of New Castle Disease in commercial poultry farms, African animal health corridors are having a bit easy with successful disease eradication protocols in place.

Germany: 10 Massive Commercial Flocks affected by New Castle Virus

German veterinary authorities are working on containing a widening wave of Newcastle disease, with WOAH confirming the stamping out of ten additional poultry flocks.

Prior to early 2026, Germany had maintained an impeccable 18-year “disease-free” status, with no commercial cases documented since 2008. The virus is moving aggressively across different epicentres, affecting multiple avian categories from commercial broilers to turkeys.

German Poultry Flock Losses by Facility Storkow[██████████████████████████████] 200,000 Broilers                                                                                                      OBERBERGKIRCHEN [██████████████] 95,000 Broilers                          ODERAUE [██████████] 70,000 Broilers                                              SPREENHAGEN [██████] 38,000 Breeding Hens (Combined Across 3 Barns) GANGKOFEN [██████] 39,900 Turkeys                                                        BUCHBACH [████] 30,000 Broilers                                                                KÜSTRINER VORLAND [██] 13,000 Turkeys                                                        OBERDING [ ] 400 Birds (Mixed Backyard Flock)

Institution of Control Measures

In response to the rapid spread, Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) and local veterinary boards have enacted strict emergency protocols. All remaining live birds inside the infected epidemiological units have been stamped out. The resulting animal by-products are being heavily regulated, treated, and recycled strictly for industrial use and biodiesel production to eliminate environmental shedding.

Poland: Persistent Incursions Strike Laying and Broiler Operations

Parallel to the German crisis, Poland has confirmed two additional large-scale flock infections with New Castle Disease. Poland remains the hardest-hit nation in Europe, struggling with persistent, cyclical flock infections. The two new cases involve highly dense operations:

• Łężyca Cluster: A facility housing 56,524 laying hens.

• Wróblew Cluster: A commercial farm rearing 29,550 broilers.

Immunological Disconnect

The European outbreaks have triggered intense scientific scrutiny because vaccination against Newcastle disease is legally mandatory for commercial poultry across both Germany and Poland.

European Union veterinary audits indicate that the virus is exploiting an immunological gap. Suboptimal vaccine delivery at hatcheries and farm sites has left highly concentrated bird populations immunologically vulnerable despite official treatment records, creating a prime environment for transboundary spread.

Liberia: WOAH Closes Case File as Disease Situation is Successfully Resolved

In a major victory for West African livestock management, WOAH has officially closed its active report on Liberia, declaring the nation free of Newcastle disease.

Unlike the European commercial poultry farms, Liberia’s swift isolation of its lone backyard flock prevented the velogenic virus from entering broader commercial agricultural networks. Extensive active surveillance across Margibi County yielded zero secondary transmission lines, allowing international monitoring bodies to officially declare the outbreak over.