Archive: 2026

The West Nile virus (WNV) has been found in dead wild birds for the first time in the Netherlands during the 2025 incident study (2/115; 1.7%). The two positive birds were both Western Jackdaws (2/6): one from Rijswijk and one from Tilburg (province of North Brabant), which were found dead in August and

In August 2025, many sick and dead doves were reported to the DWHC from Groningen. During our examination, we found Newcastle Disease (NCD) in two of the doves. Subsequently, we

The DWHC focus species of 2026 are the wild rabbit and hare. This means we’re devoting extra attention to researching these species this year. We hope to study more of these animals to gain a clear overview of the diseases circulating among wild rabbits and hares in the Netherlands. Several diseases occur in both

From March 2024 to August 2025, the DWHC, together with the WBVR, commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LVVN), tested a total of 50 foxes from the province of Friesland for avian influenza (bird flu). This research is being conducted to develop an effective surveillance program for

As part of the Strong1Health project, wild mammals are being tested for bird flu. Between November 2025 and June 2026, the aim is to test as many dead carnivores and scavenging mammals as possible for infection with the bird flu virus and antibodies against the