Walrus Dies Of Bird Flu In First Recorded Case

A walrus found dead on a Norwegian Arctic island has been confirmed to have died from bird flu, marking the first recorded case in a walrus. Tests carried out by a German laboratory showed that the walrus was infected, although it was unclear which strain of bird flu it was. Other walruses who died in the Svalbard islands last year may also have had bird flu, suggesting a potential outbreak among marine mammals.


The spread of bird flu has resulted in the deaths of millions of birds, including seabirds, as well as at least 26 species of mammals. Efforts to contain the virus have led to the slaughter of more than half a billion farmed birds, but the virus continues to spread through wild animal populations. Experts attribute the situation to farming birds for meat and eggs, with the virus spilling over into wild birds and allowing it to spread globally, reaching even the Arctic and Antarctic regions.