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Madrid Confirms Over 450 Dead Storks, Orders Expanded Bird Flu Testing

Regional officials ordered national laboratory confirmation after initial low‑pathogenicity screens, applying high‑pathogenicity control measures as a precaution.

Overview

  • More than 450 storks were recovered from the Manzanares near Perales del Río and La Marañosa between Thursday and Saturday, according to the regional government.
  • The Comunidad de Madrid reported preliminary results consistent with low‑pathogenicity avian influenza and requested confirmation from the national reference lab, with results expected Thursday.
  • Authorities incinerated collected carcasses and imposed restrictions such as suspending outdoor poultry rearing, separating ducks and geese from other poultry, limiting facility visits, and securing water supplies.
  • Firefighters and forest agents retrieved the birds using protective equipment, while unions criticized gaps in official communication and the absence of post‑exposure health follow‑up.
  • The central government’s delegate in Madrid and the mayor of Getafe pressed the region for timely information and coordination, as Spain and Europe face an active avian influenza season.