Bird flu found in polar bear in Europe for first time, on Svalbard

The Norwegian institute ⁠said ​mammals can be infected with avian influenza through direct contact with birds or other mammals, and that it was investigating whether ⁠the virus detected in the polar bear and walrus was specifically adapted to mammals. The ⁠detected virus ⁠is of the subtype H5N5 which has in recent years been found in Svalbard in birds, Arctic ‌foxes and ‌a walrus.

Bird flu has been ​detected in a dead polar ​bear in the Arctic ‌Svalbard archipelago, ​the first time the virus has been found in the species in Europe, a Norwegian ‌government agency said on Tuesday. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute said in a statement it had also detected bird flu in a dead walrus on ‌Svalbard, which is roughly halfway between the North Pole and mainland ‌Europe.

"The findings are part of a trend where highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is increasingly being detected in mammals in Europe," it said. "At the same time, the ⁠virus ​has spread to ⁠new areas in recent years, including the Arctic, where it may have consequences for vulnerable ⁠populations and ecosystems."

The global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza has alarmed ​governments and poultry producers after devastating flocks in recent years, disrupting ⁠supplies, driving up food prices and raising the risk of human transmission. The Norwegian institute ⁠said ​mammals can be infected with avian influenza through direct contact with birds or other mammals, and that it was investigating whether ⁠the virus detected in the polar bear and walrus was specifically adapted to mammals.

The ⁠detected virus ⁠is of the subtype H5N5 which has in recent years been found in Svalbard in birds, Arctic ‌foxes and ‌a walrus.