Aggressive Bird Flu Spreads in Sweden, Public urged to Avoid Sick Birds
MALMÖ, SWEDEN - An aggressive strain of bird flu is spreading across Scania, Sweden, prompting warnings from experts to avoid contact with sick or dead birds. Birdlife Sweden reported a recent surge in avian illness and mortality,with the outbreak mirroring trends observed in other European countries.
Jonas Waldenström, professor of microbiology at Linnaeus University, is urging the public to refrain from touching sick birds, despite the low risk of human transmission. “The risk of the virus being transmitted to humans is small, but it exists, and with the highly pathogenic variant, the virus amounts are large in sick birds,” Waldenström stated in a press release. The outbreak is primarily affecting bird species like geese and cranes.
The current trend was anticipated, according to Waldenström, given similar outbreaks this autumn in Germany, France, Spain, and great Britain, where thousands of cranes have already succumbed to the virus. While he expects the outbreak to subside during the winter months, he cautions that bird flu is now a globally established infection.
“It is indeed not good.A lot of mammals such as foxes, seals and even cows in North America have become ill. But it is difficult to predict the future,” Waldenström added.
Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a highly contagious viral infection that affects birds. While typically spread through direct contact with infected birds or their secretions, the virus can mutate and, in rare cases, transmit to mammals – raising concerns about potential broader impacts. The current outbreak involves a “highly pathogenic” variant, meaning it causes severe disease and high mortality rates in birds.
