High North News

Bird flu detected in a polar bear in Svalbard

Astri Edvardsen
bird flu avian influenza svalbard polar bear

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has detected avian influenza (bird flue) in a polar bear and a walrus in Raudfjorden on Spitsbergen. The virus is of the subtype H5N5 and has previously been found in wild birds, a walrus, and Arctic foxes in Svalbard.

This is the first time that avian influenza has been found in polar bears in Europe. The virus has only been detected in this species once before, in Alaska in 2023.

“These findings are part of the ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Europe, where the virus is increasingly being detected in mammals. In recent years, it has also expanded into new areas, including the Arctic, where it may impact vulnerable wildlife populations and fragile ecosystems,” says Dr. Ragnhild Tønnessen, avian influenza coordinator at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.

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