Europe has experienced its worst bird flu crisis ever.

According to the Food Safety Agency of the European Union (EFSA), this is the worst avian flu outbreak that Europe has ever seen. The FDA also stated that if the virus persists, it might lead to widespread infections the next season.

On the continent, close to 50 million poultry birds have been killed.

The spread of bird flu, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), has alarmed both the poultry sector and the government. The illness raises the risk of trade restrictions and human transmission in addition to wreaking havoc on flocks.

According to a joint review by the EFSA, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the EU reference laboratory, an unprecedented number of outbreaks were reported in wild and domestic birds this summer, causing massive mortality among sea bird breeding colonies on the north Atlantic coast.

Typically, the fall and winter months are when bird flu outbreaks occur. It is spread through direct contact with contaminated feed, clothing, or equipment as well as through the droppings of infected migratory wild birds.