The first case of a walrus dying from bird flu has been discovered on one of Norway’s Arctic islands, a researcher said.
The walrus was found last year on the island of Hopen in the Spitsbergen archipelago, Christian Lydersen of the Norwegian Polar Institute told AFP.
Tests conducted by a German laboratory revealed the presence of bird flu, Lydersen said. The sample was too small to determine whether it was the H5N1 or H5N8 strain.
“It is the first time that bird flu has been observed in a walrus,” says Lydersen.
Last year, about six dead walruses were found on the Spitsbergen Islands, about 1,000 kilometers from the North Pole and halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
Lydersen said it was “not unlikely” that some of them had bird flu.
Frank Wong, a molecular microbiologist at the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, said the transmission to walruses was of major importance to marine mammals. Animals such as sea lions and fur seals had previously died from the disease, he said.
He said bird flu was still an “avian-adapted virus” transmitted by birds such as ducks and geese. The sporadic infection and spread of bird flu in mammals was likely due to mammals ingesting infected dead birds and living in colonies in close contact with other animals.
Walruses, which can weigh up to two tons, mainly eat fish and crustaceans, but sometimes also seabirds.
Lydersen said it is important to keep an eye on developments as walruses tend to congregate in the summer months when the ice flow melts.
There may also be a risk if a polar bear eats an infected walrus corpse.
Bird flu has been taking an increasing toll among farm animals since 2020.
According to US authorities, the species has already killed one polar bear in Alaska. According to Antarctic researchers, thousands of marine mammals in South America have died from bird flu viruses.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report