In the Arctic, a walrus was found dead in the summer of 2023. According to analyses, it was suffering from avian flu. This is the first time that a case has been recorded among this species of mammal.
- A walrus has been found dead on a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic.
- According to the analyses, he was suffering from bird flu.
- This is the first time that the virus has been identified in a walrus.
Avian flu affects even the most remote places. A scientist from the Norwegian Polar Institute announces that a walrus found dead had the disease. The mammal was discovered in July 2023, on an island in the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway in the Arctic. Analyzes carried out since then have revealed that it had been contaminated by the virus: this is the first time that a walrus has contracted the disease. The information is reported by a Norwegian media Svalbardposten.
Avian flu: how could the disease have contaminated this mammal?
At the same period, several tens of thousands of marine birds were found dead on the coasts of the northern country. All were sick with bird flu. However, these long-toothed mammals sometimes feed on them. “The infection most likely comes from seabirds.”supposes Christian Lydersen, the researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute, in this newspaper.
Around six dead walruses were recorded last summer on the Norwegian archipelago. “It is not unlikely that some of them also contracted bird flu.”estimates Christian Lydersen in a dispatch from theAFPrelayed by West France.
Avian flu has affected several families of mammals
This is not the first time that avian flu has infected a wild mammal. Last January, it was diagnosed in a dead polar bear in Alaska. In his case, transmission via infected birds is also one of the explanations put forward by scientists. For Christian Lydersen, other bears could be affected, especially since these mammals can eat dead walruses. “The infection is transmitted by droplets and close contact.”, he specifies. Other animal species have been hit by the virus. At the end of 2023, several hundred sea lions and sea lions, affected by the disease, were found dead on the coasts of Brazil and Uruguay. More recently, cows have been infected with the disease in the United States, and uAn infected dolphin has also been discovered in Florida.
Avian flu: what risk of contamination for humans?
For humans, it is essential to exercise caution when dealing with these animals. “The public should strictly avoid contact with sick or dead animals, including wild birds, and report dead animals or request their removal by contacting local wildlife or veterinary authorities.”reminds himWorld Health Organization. So far, very few people have been infected with the virus in the world. “In all proven human cases of avian flu, the people were in direct contact with infected poultry.”indicates thePastor Institute. At the same time, there was no “sustained human-to-human transmission of zoonotic influenza viruses currently in circulation”according to the WHO.
