More salmonella and bird flu in 2025, and a first Q fever outbreak in zoo reindeer
The RIVM's annual overview of diseases that spread from animals to people shows more salmonella and bird flu in 2025, with no human bird flu infections and no West Nile virus diagnosed in people.
The Netherlands saw more salmonella and more bird flu in 2025, according to the Staat van Zoönosen 2025, the annual overview of diseases that animals can pass to people (zoönosen). The RIVM and the food safety authority NVWA presented it at the Zoönosecongres on Wednesday 7 October 2026.
As in 2023 and 2024, more people fell ill from salmonella enteritidis in 2025 than in the years before the coronavirus pandemic. More laying-hen farms were also infected. Since October 2025, these farms must test their chickens for salmonella more often.
More locations with birds were infected with bird flu (H5N1) in 2025 than in 2024. No people were infected. The H5N1 virus was found in cats in the Netherlands for the first time.
For the first time, Q fever broke out among forest reindeer (bosrendieren) in a Dutch zoo. No people became ill in this outbreak.
This is the second year the report covers diseases spread by ticks and mosquitoes. In 2025 the West Nile virus was found in the Netherlands in horses, mosquitoes and birds. It was not diagnosed in humans.
The RIVM makes the overview on behalf of the NVWA. It focuses mainly on zoonoses that doctors must report to the municipal health service (GGD) and vets must report to the NVWA.
zoönosen
Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. In the Netherlands, doctors and veterinarians must report certain zoonoses to health authorities. Tracking these infections helps protect public and animal health by controlling potential outbreaks.
NVWA (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit)
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority oversees food safety, consumer products, and animal welfare in the Netherlands. It enforces national and European regulations through inspections and risk assessments. Veterinarians report certain animal diseases to this agency to help manage risks and prevent wider outbreaks.
GGD (Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst)
The municipal health services are the regional public health authorities in the Netherlands. They are responsible for preventing illnesses, promoting health, and controlling infectious diseases within their designated areas. Doctors must notify their regional GGD about specific infectious diseases so the service can take measures to stop them from spreading.