Bird flu has been detected in a dead polar bear in the Arctic Svalbard archipelago, ​the first time the virus has been found ‌in the species in Europe, a Norwegian government agency said on Tuesday.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute said in a statement ​it had also detected bird flu in a ​dead walrus on Svalbard, which is roughly halfway ⁠between the North Pole and mainland Europe.

“The findings ​are part of a trend where highly pathogenic avian ​influenza virus is increasingly being detected in mammals in Europe,” it said.

“At the same time, the virus has spread to new ​areas in recent years, including the Arctic, where ​it may have consequences for vulnerable populations and ecosystems.”

The global spread ‌of ⁠highly pathogenic avian influenza has alarmed governments and poultry producers after devastating flocks in recent years, disrupting supplies, driving up food prices and raising the risk ​of human ​transmission.

The Norwegian ⁠institute said mammals can be infected with avian influenza through direct contact with birds ​or other mammals, and that it was ​investigating ⁠whether the virus detected in the polar bear and walrus was specifically adapted to mammals.

The detected virus is ⁠of ​the subtype H5N5 which has ​in recent years been found in Svalbard in birds, Arctic foxes and ​a walrus.

–Reuters–