Norway and Finland are currently facing unprecedented bird flu outbreaks this year, resulting in the deaths of thousands of seagulls and other bird species, posing risks to livestock, and prompting travel restrictions in certain regions. Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has been circulating in Europe in recent times, leading to the large-scale culling of birds on French farms in May and June and affecting the poultry meat and egg supply.
In Norway’s Finnmark county, specifically in the Arctic town of Vadso, officials have reported collecting over 10,000 dead birds, and in response, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has imposed a travel ban covering three nature reserves. The scale of these outbreaks is much larger than previously witnessed in Norway, according to Ole-Herman Tronerud, the chief veterinary officer at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
Neighboring Finland is also grappling with the impact of bird flu on wild birds, particularly seagulls, with the H5N1 virus strain being detected in 20 fur farms, an increase from the previous count of 12.
The H5N1 virus has been circulating among poultry and wild birds for some time, and sporadic outbreaks have been reported in mammals like cats, mink, and otters. Concerns have arisen that the virus might adapt to infect humans more easily, prompting three U.N. agencies to call for enhanced disease surveillance and improved hygiene measures on poultry farms globally.
The World Health Organization has emphasized that the risk of transmission to humans from H5N1 remains low but has stressed the need to closely monitor reports of infections in mammals. The situation in Norway and Finland highlights the importance of vigilant monitoring and precautions to contain the spread of bird flu and safeguard both bird populations and public health.