First in Europe: Polar Bear in Norway Dies from H5N5 Avian Flu

(CNA Oslo, 19th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Norwegian authorities announced today the first recorded case of a polar bear in Europe infected with avian flu, located in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Circle. Experts point out that the proportion of mammals in Europe infected with avian flu is gradually increasing, raising concerns about the impact on local species. According to AFP, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute stated that in mid-May on the Svalbard islands, the bodies of a one-year-old male polar bear and a walrus were discovered, and the H5N5 avian flu virus was detected in samples from the carcasses. Ragnhild Tonnessen, the avian flu coordinator at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, noted in a press release, 'This finding is consistent with the current trend of increasing frequency of high-pathogenicity avian influenza virus detections in mammals in Europe.' She added that in recent years, avian flu has spread to regions where it had not previously appeared, such as the Arctic, which could impact vulnerable local species and ecosystems. The Governor of Svalbard also stated that the avian flu virus was detected in the brain samples of both animals, which is highly likely to be the main cause of their deaths. In 2023, a walrus that died from avian flu was found in Svalbard; in the same year, a polar bear's death from avian flu infection was also recorded in Alaska, USA. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), between January 2025 and March 2026, as many as 140 million animals in nearly 70 countries worldwide died or were culled due to avian flu. Although this figure is much lower than the peak of the epidemic from 2021 to 2022, since that outbreak, the avian flu virus has spread widely among 'non-avian' species, increasing the risk of human infection.