Mexico’s AH5N2 Bird Flu Areas Reduced by 45% in 2025

The National Service of Health, Safety and Food Quality (Senasica) in Mexico has reported a significant decrease in the areas affected by the low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) AH5N2 virus. The reduction of 45% was accomplished between the latter half of 2024 and the start of 2025, due to effective epidemiological surveillance in poultry production units.

During the latter half of 2024, the General Directorate of Animal Health (GDHA) of Senasica identified the presence of the virus in 137 municipalities. However, by the start of 2025, tests revealed the pathogen in only 75 municipalities. This demonstrates the successful collaboration between the health authority and the productive sector.

In response to these findings, Senasica authorized strategic vaccinations in the 75 municipalities with a low prevalence of LPAI. These areas are located in the states of Coahuila, Durango, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Puebla, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí. The goal of this measure is to prevent the virus from spreading and to protect the national poultry industry.

It's important to note that despite the significant decrease in the circulation of the AH5N2 virus, Mexico is still dealing with challenges from other subtypes of avian influenza. In November 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development began strategic vaccinations against the highly pathogenic AH5N1 bird flu due to outbreaks in domestic birds in seven states.

Senasica updates the list of municipalities where the LPAI H5N2 vaccination is authorized on a monthly basis. They also conduct ongoing epidemiological surveillance in strategic urban and natural areas, such as wetlands and bodies of water, where wild birds that could potentially carry the virus reside.