Madrid, July 16, 2026.- The Public Health Commission has approved the State Plan against infections by influenza viruses of zoonotic origin: Prevention, Surveillance and Control, which establishes a common framework for prevention, surveillance, early detection and response to influenza viruses that circulate in animals and can be transmitted to people.
The Plan adopts the "One Health" approach and establishes a joint response across the fields of human health, animal health, and the environment. Its objective is to improve coordination among the different sectors at the national, regional, and local levels, and to ensure that epidemiological, microbiological, and environmental information is integrated, up-to-date, and readily available to facilitate the early implementation of control measures.
The document has been coordinated by the Center for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) of the Ministry of Health and prepared jointly with the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the Carlos III Health Institute, the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition and other units involved in the prevention and management of these risks.
Zoonotic influenza viruses circulate among animals. Transmission to humans remains infrequent and is usually linked to direct contact with infected animals, their secretions, or contaminated environments. However, their ability to mutate and exchange genetic material necessitates continuous surveillance, especially given the increased detection of these viruses in various mammal species.
The Plan organizes the actions into four scenarios , which allow the measures to be progressively adapted to the epidemiological situation of each territory.
Scenario 0 corresponds to a situation with no detected infections in animals or people and focuses on ordinary actions of prevention, surveillance, training and maintenance of diagnostic capabilities.
Scenario 1 is activated upon detection of outbreaks in wild or captive animals. It distinguishes between isolated outbreaks in birds, multiple outbreaks distributed across a territory, and detections in wild mammals.
Scenario 2 considers outbreaks in domestic animals and also differentiates between isolated outbreaks in birds, multiple outbreaks, and detections in domestic mammals.
Finally, scenario 3 applies when a human infection is identified. In this case, a distinction is made between cases with known exposure to animals or contaminated environments, those where no risk exposure is identified, and cases associated with contact with another infected person, which would imply possible limited human-to-human transmission.
The scenarios are not mutually exclusive and may be applied simultaneously in the same territory. Each autonomous community will conduct its own risk assessment to determine the necessary measures in each affected province, community, or geographical area.
The Plan envisions the creation of a Permanent State Committee for Coordination and Monitoring , chaired and technically coordinated by the CCAES, responsible for reviewing preparedness and response measures, promoting common protocols, conducting joint risk assessments, and evaluating the Plan's effectiveness. Furthermore, it recommends that the autonomous communities establish equivalent bodies to coordinate actions related to public health, animal health, the environment, food safety, and occupational health.
This body will include representatives from the competent departments in public health, animal health, biodiversity, food safety, occupational health, medicines and health products and epidemiological and microbiological surveillance, as well as from the autonomous communities, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces and experts.
Human health measures focus especially on people who, due to their professional activity, may come into contact with infected animals, their secretions or contaminated materials, such as livestock farm personnel, veterinary professionals, environmental agents or zoo workers.
Companies must assess the risk, provide the necessary protective equipment, and ensure health monitoring. Occupational risk prevention services will identify and monitor exposed personnel in the event of outbreaks in animals and, where appropriate, may recommend PCR tests, preventive antiviral treatment, or vaccination against zoonotic viruses.
The Plan also maintains the recommendation for seasonal flu vaccination for those who work in direct contact with animals, with the aim of reducing the risk of coinfection by human and animal flu viruses.
In the animal sector , the Plan strengthens surveillance of wild and domestic birds and mammals, as well as genomic analysis of viruses to detect changes that could increase their transmissibility. In the event of outbreaks on farms, biosecurity measures, movement controls, confinement, and, where appropriate, vaccination will be implemented.
In parks and urban or peri-urban areas, protocols will be established to safely remove sick or dead animals, clean and disinfect affected areas, and inform the public. It is recommended not to touch or handle them and to report their presence to the appropriate authorities.
The Plan incorporates risk communication and community participation as one of its five main components. To this end, an inter-institutional communication group will be established, websites with updated information will be created, and campaigns will be developed targeting both the general public and the professional sectors with the greatest exposure.
Media and social media will also be monitored to detect and respond to rumors, false content, or unverified information. In higher-risk scenarios, an official spokesperson will be appointed, information will be updated daily, and, when necessary, a citizen hotline will be activated.
The Permanent State Committee will develop the indicators that will allow the evaluation of preparedness and response, as well as compliance with the Plan in its various components and at the state and regional levels.
In the last year, more than 150 outbreaks of avian influenza have been detected in Spain, mostly in wild birds, although outbreaks have also been recorded in poultry, leading to the culling of thousands of animals. Despite the increased circulation of the virus among birds, Spain has not registered any human cases of avian influenza to date. Regarding swine influenza, three human cases of infection have been identified in Spain since 2009.
The new Plan will strengthen prevention, early detection and coordinated response to any changes in the epidemiological situation.
Source:
Link: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/gabinete/notasPrensa.do?id=6965
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