Often considered the symbol of climate change, the polar bear is now also a victim of the H5N1 virus, a virus which mainly affects birds. In Alaska, a polar bear was found dead, infected with this virus. This is the first reported case and also the first time that an animal on the endangered species list in Alaska has been affected by H5N1.
The bear could have contracted the virus by consuming an infected bird. However, it is not necessary for the bear to have directly eaten a bird to be infected. The virus can survive in the environment for some time, especially in a cold environment, which could explain how the bear became infected.
More generally, the H5N1 virus is no longer limited to birds. Thus, since the 2021 epidemic, the virus has affected not only farmed birds, but also wild birds and now mammals. Black and brown bears, bald eagles, foxes, elephant seals and sea lions have all been found infected with the virus.
The virus has also been detected in remote regions, including the Arctic and Antarctica. Animals living in these areas have never been exposed to viruses of this type, making them more vulnerable. Researchers fear a major ecological disaster if the virus reaches penguin colonies. They even fear that this could lead to “one of the greatest ecological disasters of modern times”.
 Sophie de Duiéry
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09/01/2024 | 
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