"Current outbreak, which started in 2021, is estimated to have killed millions of wild birds and thousands of mammals globally".
"A polar bear has been killed by bird flu as the highly contagious H5N1 virus spreads into the most remote parts of the planet.
The death was confirmed in December by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. “This is the first polar bear case reported, for anywhere,” Dr Bob Gerlach, Alaska’s state veterinarian, told the Alaska Beacon.
It was found near Utqiagvik, one of the northernmost communities in Alaska, two years after this latest strain was detected in North America. Gerlach said it was likely the bear was scavenging on the carcasses of infected birds."
Phoebe Weston reports for the Guardian January 2, 2024.
SEE ALSO:
"Avian Flu: More Than 1 Million Birds Euthanized In Petaluma, The Egg Capital Of CA" (ABC7)
"Brazil, Mexico Eye Regional Avian Flu Plan To Keep Trade Flowing" (Reuters)
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