Several new bird flu outbreaks have been detected in Seville and its province in recent days. The virus is rapidly spreading through urban and suburban parks, as well as rural areas. Cases have been confirmed within just a week in Miraflores Park, the Alcázar gardens, and the Tamarquillo green zone. Outbreaks have also occurred in the municipalities of La Puebla del Río and Aznalcázar, not far from the Doñana Natural Park.
As the virus continues to spread, environmentalists have voiced dissatisfaction with the speed of the regional authorities’ response. In their view, the measures currently being taken are more emergency actions than preventive ones. They recall that problems with bird flu were already known in the spring, when cases were recorded in neighboring Badajoz and Portugal. However, it was only after dozens of birds died in Seville that authorities began to develop protocols for city parks.
At present, there are nine confirmed outbreaks in Andalusia: three in city parks, three among wild birds, two on agricultural farms, and one on another type of property. On Friday, the deaths of two geese were reported in Los Príncipes Park, but the park was not closed since the required protocol conditions were not met—three dead birds have to be found within 24 hours. By contrast, María Luisa Park—which receives millions of visitors annually—was closed after five dead ducks were discovered.
City authorities have announced the partial reopening of the Alcázar gardens, restricting access to areas with the highest concentration of birds. According to the new regulations, staff are required to inspect the parks twice a day, remove dead and sick birds, carry out disinfection, and inform visitors using special signs.
Environmental organizations believe that the responsibility for preventing the spread of the virus should not rest solely on park visitors. They demand that specialists pay more attention to healthy populations and work to prevent contact between different animal species. There is particular concern about the overcrowding of birds in some suburban areas, which facilitates the transmission of infection.
Earlier this summer, dead ducks were found in María Luisa park, but at the time, most attention was focused on a major music festival. Environmentalists emphasize that the absence of ongoing monitoring and prevention programs has a negative impact on the condition of the city’s green areas. For comparison, no such cases have been recorded in Alamillo park.
There have also been reports of dead birds found along the Guadalquivir riverfront. According to representatives of environmental movements, sometimes the bodies remain in the water for several days, indicating insufficient responsiveness from city services.
The municipality claims it responded to the situation from the very beginning: after the first cases in Tamarguillo, the park was closed, the dead birds were removed, water analyses were conducted, and samples were sent to laboratories. Authorities insist that they acted as transparently and swiftly as possible, despite the lack of approved protocols at the time.
Environmentalists, however, question the effectiveness of measures limited to city parks, as the virus has already spread throughout the province and could reach other regions along the Guadalquivir. Authorities in Andalusia believe that a separate regional protocol is unnecessary, since there are already guidelines in place for agricultural farms and wild birds.
At the same time, in Málaga, where dead birds were also found, it was determined that the cause was not avian flu but Newcastle disease, which is rarely dangerous to humans.
