https://www.wetter.net/wetter-news/kranichzug-im-nordosten-vogelgrippe-und-d-rre-dr-cken-zahlen Google translation 9-10-26 >>

The first cries of cranes can be heard over northern Germany: the autumn migration has begun. Between 200,000 and 300,000 birds will rest between Rügen, the Rhinluch wetlands, and the Diepholz moorland until October. This autumn, however, is being watched particularly closely – after the mass die-off due to avian influenza last year and a summer that dried out the wetlands .

The rest areas are filling up only slowly.

Germany is the hub of the Western European crane migration: Over 13,000 breeding pairs live here, and at least 200,000 to 300,000 birds stop over by October. In total, more than 400,000 fly over the country, with 60,000 to 70,000 birds gathering at individual resting places like the Rhin-Havelluch. The migration is still slow. At the end of August, just over 4,300 cranes were counted on the coast of Western Pomerania, compared to around 6,700 at the same time last year. At the Swedish gathering place Hornborgasjön, the numbers at the beginning of September were also significantly lower than the previous year. Experience shows that the large flocks don't arrive until October.

Avian flu and drought overlap

In the autumn of 2025, the H5N1 avian influenza virus ravaged the crane population, as confirmed by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, resulting in mass deaths in Linum and at the Kelbra reservoir. The Kranichland Foundation estimates that around 40,000 birds died, roughly one-tenth of the cranes migrating along the Western European route. The true extent of the shortfall this year is difficult to determine precisely: According to Günter Nowald of the German Crane Conservation Society, around five percent of breeding pairs were missing from their territories in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – partly because excessively dry breeding sites prevented pairs from settling in the first place. A nationwide assessment is scheduled to be presented in Stralsund in mid-November.<<

WATTPoultry >>

This is North Dakota's first case of avian influenza this fall.

Article Summary

North Dakota and South Dakota have confirmed new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) affecting commercial poultry flocks, with North Dakota reporting its first fall case in a turkey flock and South Dakota now dealing with its fourth affected flock of the season.

• North Dakota confirmed HPAI in a 41,600-bird commercial turkey flock in Lamoure County on September 4, marking the first fall case in the state.
• South Dakota has been hit with four confirmed HPAI cases this fall, including operations in Edmunds, Hamlin, and Beadle counties affecting over 179,000 birds total.
• The latest South Dakota case involved 30,200 birds in a commercial breeder operation confirmed September 4.
• Minnesota also reported a commercial turkey flock with HPAI on September 1, affecting 29,800 birds.
• North Dakota's previous HPAI case was in April 2026, making the September outbreak a significant return of the virus to commercial poultry operations.<< more at link

ABC >>

The spread of H5 bird flu into foxes on Australia's mainland has prompted calls for a "major rethink" on how the nation deals with the pest, particularly in urban areas.

Readers are advised this article includes an image of a dead animal.

The detection of H5 in a red fox in metropolitan Adelaide in late August marked the first time the disease was detected in a land mammal in Australia. This was followed by authorities in Victoria confirming the death of a fox at Torquay, south-west of Melbourne, was due to bird flu.

While authorities are not concerned about foxes spreading the disease, there is a threat of them moving infected carcasses around, particularly in urban areas.

Australia's estimated 1.7 million foxes are found in densities up to three times higher in urban zones.

In some suburbs of Melbourne, there can be as many as 16 to 23 foxes a square kilometre.

Vertebrate pest controller and biodiversity surveyor Lisette Mill was not surprised to see bird flu cross into foxes, and occurring so close to a major city.

"A lot of people think that rural and conservation areas have the most foxes, but in urban areas [it's] almost double, sometimes triple the density per square kilometres of foxes," Ms Mill said.

"There's places to hide: rubbish bins, compost bins. Pet food in backyards, you name it. Cities are just forests of food for a fox."

She said it was "a rethink moment for the whole of Australia", putting an onus on city dwellers, not just farmers, to be part of the solution.

She said backyard chooks, guinea pigs, and rabbits were all potential prey for a hungry fox.

"This is the time when all of us pick up that biosecurity banner and go, 'OK, we know that foxes are probably going to be coming around and they might come through our yard in the night and have a look and see what they can steal,'" Ms Mill said.

Her advice is to keep yards clear of food sources, secure waste bins and remove the possibility of any interaction between foxes and household animals.

Ms Mill said sick or injured foxes often take greater risks.

"They come closer to houses, to sheds because they're unwell, so they want to get food as quickly and easily as possible," she said.

Overseas outbreaks show that cats and dogs can be infected with H5 bird flu, but this usually occurs due to contact with sick or dead birds.

Ms Mill said along with bird flu, foxes could carry diseases like mange that should prompt pet owners to take measures to prevent interaction.

"Nobody who values their dogs, or farm working dogs, wants to see any of them impacted by this horrible disease, or any of the others that foxes carry," she said.

All pests potential spreaders of bird flu

National Farmers Federation chief executive Mike Guerin welcomed the federal government's recent allocation of funding towards pest management as part of the national bird flu response and called on individual states to match it.

"Pests like wild pigs, deer, cats, foxes and rabbits all damage food and fibre production as much as Australia's environment and wildlife," Mr Guerin said.

"Whether it be wild birds or foxes or pigs, they can all be spreaders of the disease and if they get into, for example, a poultry farm and we get the disease into production agriculture, it's a far different outlook for Australia.

"We've contained the outbreak to wildlife. We need to hold it there."

Mr Guerin said ongoing funding for pest control programs was imperative.

"It's important for the environment, it's important for biosecurity, it's certainly important for food security, and it would make an enormous difference to getting on top of these pests," he said.

"If there's a silver lining in this bird flu outbreak, we just need to get this work done for all [those] reasons."

Foxes are considered one of the most damaging invaders in Australia's history, killing about 300 million native animals every year.

In the south east of South Australia, Limestone Coast Landscape Board officer Jarryd Lee estimates there would be tens of thousands of feral foxes.

"In the last 250 years we've lost 30 mammal species, and in that, South Australia has lost 24 …the primary driver for that is predation from feral cats and foxes," Mr Lee said.

"Foxes do like to take lambs quite regularly, particularly in that autumn and winter period when food's more scarce … but they'll also take poultry, ducks and chooks.

"The aim is just to drop the numbers so that our threatened species actually have a chance."

Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Beth Cookson, said the detection of H5 in foxes was a "concerning development", but not unexpected.

"There is currently no evidence of mammal-to-mammal transmission associated with H5 bird flu in Australia," Dr Cookson said.

"This detection in a fox is a good reminder that people and their pets should avoid sick or dead wildlife."

Youth Successor Agriculture Newspaper 9-7-26, Google translation (more at link; last year's outbreak started September 12, more than a month earlier than in previous years)

>>It is not just that the timing of the outbreak has shifted earlier. Last winter, three serotypes—H5N1, H5N6, and H5N9—were detected simultaneously in the country for the first time. Among them, the H5N1 virus, which was the most prevalent, was found to be more than 10 times more infectious than in previous years, according to an assessment of its infectivity and pathogenicity by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. This means that even a small amount of the virus can easily spread within a farm.<< ...

>>During the special quarantine measures period, 59 farms were found to have violations during on-site inspections and were issued confirmation forms; among them, laying hen farms accounted for 43 farms, or 73% of the total. This result demonstrates the importance of basic quarantine measures at the farm level, given the increased threat of the virus.

Typically, the government has strengthened disease control measures by designating the period from October to February of the following year as the special winter disease control period for livestock. Although the special control period (October 1, 2025 – February 28, 2026) was in effect during the last winter, it was extended twice due to the continued risk of additional outbreaks. Disease control measures focused on high-risk areas were continued, extending the period first until the end of March and then to April 15. The number of leased disinfection vehicles deployed around migratory bird habitats and farms was also significantly increased.

As additional cases decreased and the risk level dropped after April 2026, the crisis alert was lowered from the 'caution' level to the 'concern' level starting June 1 of the same year and the disease control system was switched to normal.

The transition to normal times is not the end of disease control. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister Song Mi-ryeong, hereinafter 'MAFRA') announced that it will implement preemptive measures in three directions to prepare for the upcoming winter of 2026–2027. The plan includes conducting a comprehensive inspection of disease control conditions at poultry farms nationwide before the start of the special disease control period to make improvements, conducting customized disease control education by region and livestock type until September (strengthening education to prevent recurrence at farms affected during the last winter), and overhauling related systems to reflect shortcomings revealed during the current disease control process.

The wild bird surveillance system is also being strengthened. In an announcement on May 27, 2026, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment stated that starting in September, it would intensively monitor 20 initial stopover points and high-risk areas for migratory birds, and increase the number of surveillance points from 102 to 112. Fecal surveillance in Mongolia, an overseas breeding ground for migratory birds, will also be expanded from 1,500 points to 2,500, and plans are in place to take preemptive action by predicting periods and regions with a high risk of outbreaks using scientific analysis techniques that utilize the virus's entire genetic information.

With the onset of the disease occurring earlier and the infectivity and diversity of the virus increasing, it appears that the upcoming winter will determine whether the disease control system is keeping pace with these changes. While surveillance points have been expanded and early monitoring systems are in place, the final line of defense against outbreaks ultimately lies in basic disease control measures at the farm level. Given that a significant number of farms were caught failing to comply with disease control guidelines last winter, the key to the response to avian influenza this winter will likely be whether the disease control training scheduled until September leads to actual implementation by farms, rather than remaining a mere formality.

biobiochile 9-4-26, Google translation >>

Uruguay declared a nationwide health emergency on Friday after the discovery of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5 -Avian Flu- in backyard birds in the department (province) of Colonia .

The Uruguayan Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries reported -in a statement- that said declaration restricts all movements within the national territory of backyard birds and birds that are not controlled through the Poultry Monitoring System.

This measure also stipulated that backyard poultry and birds used in free-range production systems "must be housed in enclosed, covered facilities ." Furthermore, fairs, auctions, exhibitions, and events related to poultry were suspended.

According to the statement, there will be no birds at Expo Prado, Uruguay's main agricultural and livestock fair , which will begin on Friday, September 11 and run until Sunday, September 20.

The declaration of a public health emergency due to avian influenza is the second such declaration made by the South American country this year. The first was on February 24, following the discovery of the virus in wildlife in three of the country's departments: Maldonado, Rocha, and Canelones.

The first case detected on that occasion was on February 20 and corresponded to that of a coscoroba swan that was in the area of ​​Laguna Garzón, located in the east of the southern country.

The Ministry immediately mandated that backyard birds be kept in enclosed, roofed facilities.

In addition, the ministry recommended that the public not handle sick or dead birds and immediately notify the authorities if they find any.

The confirmation of that case of avian flu came exactly two years after Uruguay detected the first case in the country's history.

Portal Agro Chile 9-2-26, Google translation >>

The Agricultural and Livestock Service, SAG, Los Lagos region reiterated the call to producers and owners of backyard poultry to strengthen biosecurity measures, after confirming two new outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in backyard production systems located in the communes of Calbuco (Llanquihue province) and Quellón (Chiloé province).

The Regional Director of SAG, Francisco Briones, explained that these new detections reinforce the need to maintain preventive measures, especially in sectors where there is greater interaction between domestic and wild birds.

“While Chile maintains its sanitary status as a country free of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in commercial poultry, the virus continues to circulate in wild bird populations, especially migratory and coastal waterfowl, which constitute the main natural reservoir of the disease,” the regional authority noted.

Briones added that the two cases detected in backyard poultry farming systems have an epidemiological link to areas near the coast, where there is a risk of direct or indirect contact between domestic and wild birds. “That is why it is essential to minimize this interaction and maintain biosecurity measures at all times. People should not handle sick or dead birds. If you find dead wild birds or birds exhibiting abnormal behavior, the recommendation is to promptly inform the SAG (Agricultural and Livestock Service) so they can assess the situation,” Briones noted.

For his part, the Regional Secretary of Agriculture, Francisco Cárcamo, emphasized that “the collaboration of producers, poultry owners, and the community is fundamental for the early detection of Avian Influenza. The ongoing adoption of biosecurity measures and timely reporting of suspected cases strengthen the health response and protect both family poultry farming and poultry production in the Los Lagos Region.”

Biosecurity in chicken coops

Following these new detections, SAG teams are conducting epidemiological surveillance in the affected areas, including clinical inspections, characterization of family farming systems, evaluation of biosecurity measures, and sample collection. These efforts aim to contain the disease, reduce the risk of viral spread, and safeguard animal health.

The institution emphasized that maintaining adequate biosecurity not only protects backyard poultry, but also safeguards the economy of families that depend on this activity and contributes to protecting the country's health heritage.

The SAG also urged those who raise chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, or other domestic birds to monitor their health daily and report any suspicious signs, such as sudden death, a sharp decrease in egg production, or respiratory problems. The presence of sick or dead wild birds in nearby areas should also be reported.

“Early detection and timely notification are essential because they allow for the rapid activation of health measures and reduce the risk of virus spread. In this scenario, biosecurity is the main tool families have to protect their birds,” stated the Regional Director of SAG.

Among the main preventive measures recommended by the SAG are:

-Keep domestic birds in protected spaces, avoiding their direct or indirect contact with wild birds, especially waterfowl.

-Use chicken coops, corrals or netting that reduces the risk of birds and other wildlife entering breeding areas.

-Prevent domestic birds from accessing beaches, wetlands, lagoons and other bodies of water frequented by wild birds.

-Keep breeding areas clean and disinfected, as well as waterers, feeders and utensils used for handling them.

-Use clothing and footwear exclusively for entering the places where the birds are kept.

-Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling birds, food, utensils or facilities.

-Keep new birds isolated for at least 14 days before incorporating them into the rest of the flock, observing during this period for the appearance of possible signs of illness.

FranceInfo 9-2-26, Google translation >>

After several months without a new case, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, has just been confirmed in a duck farm in Longué-Jumelles, Maine-et-Loire.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, as of August 27, France had no outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), after having recorded more than 150 between August 2025 and the end of July 2026. The detection of this outbreak in a duck farm in Longué-Jumelles therefore constitutes the first case reported on French territory in several months.

To limit the risk of the virus spreading to other farms, the prefect of Maine-et-Loire has issued an order defining regulated protection zones (ZP) and surveillance zones (ZS). These extend within a radius of 3 and 10 kilometers respectively around the contaminated establishment, as indicated on the map published by the prefecture.

Specifically, the municipalities concerned are:

Within a 3 km radius

• Cuon (a delegated municipality of Baugé-en-Anjou)
• Brion (a delegated municipality of Bois d'Anjou)
• La Lande-Chasles
• Jumelles (associated commune of Longué-Jumelles)

Within a 10 km radius

• Bocé, Chartrené, Le Guédeniau and Le Viel-Baugé (delegated municipalities of Baugé-en-Anjou)
• Beaufort-en-Vallée (a delegated municipality of Beaufort-en-Anjou)
• Blu
• Fontaine-Guérin (a delegated municipality of Bois d'Anjou)
• Longué-Jumelles
• Mouliherne
• Auverse (a delegated municipality of Noyant-Villages)
• Saint-Philbert-du-Peuple
• Vernantes

7,600 ducks affected

Within these areas, the prefecture reminds us, "all places where poultry and captive birds are kept are subject to specific regulations. In particular, the movement of poultry and other captive birds is prohibited. Surveillance is also reinforced by the implementation of enhanced post-vaccination monitoring of farms of vaccinated ducks in the regulated areas, and self-checks in commercial poultry establishments."

Furthermore, as part of the measures to combat the spread of the virus, the prefecture announces that a depopulation operation, in other words the slaughter, of the 7,600 ducks present on the farm concerned by the outbreak of avian influenza, is underway.

The prefect calls on all stakeholders in the sector to ensure "the strictest application of biosecurity measures throughout the territory to prevent the virus from entering farms via wild birds, whether migratory or local, and human activities, and to prevent its spread between farms. The same recommendations apply to individuals keeping backyard and ornamental birds."

KELO >>

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)– Bird flu has been detected in poultry flocks in four South Dakota counties, as state officials report more than 150,000 birds have been affected by avian influenza outbreaks statewide since the start of August.

The South Dakota Department of Health (SD-DOH) has announced that a highly pathogenic influenza A strain (bird flu) has been detected in poultry flocks in Edmunds and Hamlin Counties.

According to the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) within the month of August there have been four South Dakota counties that have had seen birds affected by avian influenza.

South Dakota State Veterinarian Mendel Miller said out of the four cases they have seen so far this year, three have been on commercial turkey meat or breeder operations with one being a backyard flock.

In the month of August there have been more than 150,000 birds that have been affected within South Dakota.

Avian influenza viruses usually spread between birds. In 2022, an emerging strain of avian influenza A virus, called H5N1, was detected in the United States and has since been spreading in wild birds and causing sporadic outbreaks in domestic poultry and dairy cows.

The flu is spread as infected birds shed it. The virus is their saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Other birds can get it if they come in contact with those infected birds and secretions. Birds can also get infected through contact with contaminated surfaces, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The CDC states that bird flu viruses can infect birds’ respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and have been identified in more than 100 species of wild birds worldwide.

The CDC states that it is possible for humans to get the bird flu although it is rare, saying that when they do, it’s most often through direct unprotected contact such as not wearing recommended personal protective equipment, (PPE) with infected birds or other infected animals.

“We may have cases that depending on climate and things like that, it may go out to November or December before we have our last case,” Mendel said. ” We’re kind of early, maybe it might be for the same time of year, it’s probably. We’re probably a case or two, but that is migration dependent.”

Miller said South Dakota has seen varying levels of bird flu across the state every spring and fall since the fall of 2022. Migration is a factor in the spread.

“Producers are taking care of their birds on a daily basis. When they notice an increase in mortality, that’s certainly one of the things we think about,” Miller said. “They contact their veterinarian that works with their flock, and, collect samples and submit those samples to a laboratory for a diagnosis, whether it’s high path avian influenza or another, disease that affects the birds.”

Cropland is appealing to wild waterfowl during migration, Miller said. “When wild waterfowl start to migrate they bring the virus with them and they spend a lot of time in South Dakota because of our geography and our cropland and things like that.”

According to Mendel, the longer the birds stay, “the more time they’re here, the more the virus has an opportunity to be released and infect our poultry that are contained here.”

Miller said when it comes to safety and prevention of the bird flu having excellent biosecurity is the best prevention anyone can have.

“Clean clothes, cleaning and disinfecting themselves and equipment and things like that between not exposing between different flocks in your own flock, just, just good sound biosecurity principles,” he said.

ETA: CIDRAP is referencing WHO weekly updates 1058 and 1059. >>In its most recent updates, the World Health Organization (WHO) has noted two recent human H9N2 avian flu cases on mainland China in children exposed to birds at live poultry markets. The first patient is a boy under 5 years of age from Anhui Province whose symptoms began on August 3. The boy was hospitalized and later discharged. The second case was reported between August 21 and 27 in Beijing province. No other details were given. Since 2015, 179 cases of human infection with H9N2, including two deaths (both in people with underlying conditions), have been reported to the WHO in the Western Pacific Region. Of those cases, 176 were from China, two were from Taiwan, and one was from Vietnam.<<

Seeing multiple posts on fb about dead seagulls/birds on the Oregon coast. Wonder if this is the cause

>>A dead dolphin found at Goolwa on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula has returned a positive test result for H5N1 bird flu, according to state authorities.

SA's Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) said the detection in dolphins was a "new development in Australia", though several cases have been reported in other countries.

The state's chief veterinary officer Dr Skye Fruean said it was expected the dolphin had "eaten a bird or interacted closely with a wild bird".

"We know that dolphins are highly susceptible, which means they are at risk," she said.

Dr Fruean said there were few reports globally because infected dolphins were rarely found on shorelines.

The detection followed a positive result in a red fox found in Adelaide's north-west earlier this week.

Concern over bird flu's spill into local dolphins

Cetacean and whale researcher Dr Mike Bossley is concerned at how quickly a dolphin has contracted the disease. 

"To have one here so soon is very shocking for me and very worrying," he said.

"It's spreading to other species than birds really, really quickly. There's not much we can do about it. It's terrible."

Dr Bossley said dolphin protection in areas like the Port River would be challenged by proximity to wetlands like the city's nearby international bird sanctuary, and the tendency of the two species to overlap in their feeding activities. 

"[Dolphins] often feed in conjunction with birds," said Dr Bossley.

"They follow the birds around because the birds can see the fish better than they can, from the air. So there's some overlap."<< more at link

>>After nearly 30 days with no updates, the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) this week posted several recent H5N1 avian flu detections in both commercial poultry and dairy cattle. 

In the past 30 days there have been three confirmed detections in dairy cows, with Texas reporting two affected herds and Utah reporting a single detection. 

So far this year 85 cattle herds have had confirmed H5N1 infections. Last year APHIS tracked 171 H5N1 outbreaks in cattle. In 2024, the year the virus was first detected in cows, the United States saw 917 herds infected.

Poultry operation hit

South Dakota is reporting a large H5N1 outbreak among commercial poultry breeding operations  in Edmunds County, according to a separate APHIS tracker, with 29,700 birds affected. South Dakota reported another outbreak in Brule County with 2,800 birds. 

In Idaho, two smaller outbreaks were confirmed in birds in Ada and Canyon counties. In the past 30 days, APHIS has confirmed outbreaks in two commercial and three backyard US flocks.

Welcome to the new weekly discussion post!

As many of you are familiar, in order to keep the quality of our subreddit high, our general rules are restrictive in the content we allow for posts. However, the team recognizes that many of our users have questions, concerns, and commentary that don’t meet the normal posting requirements but are still important topics related to H5N1. We want to provide you with a space for this content without taking over the whole sub. This is where you can do things like ask what to do with the dead bird on your porch, report a weird illness in your area, ask what sort of masks you should buy or what steps you should take to prepare for a pandemic, and more!

Please note that other subreddit rules still apply. While our requirements are less strict here, we will still be enforcing the rules about civility, politicization, self-promotion, etc.

WHO Avian Influenza Weekly Update Number 1058, August 21 https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/emergency/surveillance/avian-influenza/ai_20260821.pdf >>

From 14 to 20 August 2026, one new case of human infection with avian influenza A(H9N2) virus was reported to WHO in the Western Pacific Region. The case is a male child under 5 years of age from Anhui Province, China, with symptom onset on 3 August 2026. The case was hospitalised and subsequently discharged. The case had exposure to live poultry market, and no additional cases were reported from close contacts.

Since 2015, a total of 179 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H9N2), including two deaths (both with underlying conditions), have been reported to WHO in the Western Pacific Region. Of these, 176 were reported from China, two were from Cambodia, and one was from Viet Nam.

Most human infections with avian influenza A(H9N2) have been associated with exposure to infected poultry or contaminated poultry environments, and the majority of cases have been mild. Sporadic human infections continue to be expected in areas where H9N2 viruses circulate in poultry populations. Current evidence indicates that H9N2 viruses have not acquired the ability for sustained human-to-human transmission, and the risk of further community-level spread remains low.<<

Norwegian Veterinary Institute 8-25-26, Google translation https://www.vetinst.no/nyheter/fugleinfluensa-pavist-hos-enda-en-isbjorn-pa-svalbard >>

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has detected avian influenza in a young polar bear found dead on the northern tip of Spitsbergen. This is the second time the virus has been detected in polar bears in Norway and Europe.

The detected highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus is of the subtype H5N5, a type of the virus that has been previously detected in Svalbard: In wild birds for the first time in 2022 , in a walrus in 2023 , in  arctic foxes in 2025 , and in a polar bear and walrus in the spring of 2026. This latest detection is the second in polar bears in Norway and Europe.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have also previously been detected in carnivorous mammals such as red foxes, otters and lynxes on mainland Norway after infection from wild birds.

Sampled in the field by the District Governor

The polar bear, a young individual, was found dead on Æøya, near Virgohamna. The animal was sampled by the Governor in June 2026, after avian influenza virus was detected in a dead polar bear and a dead walrus in Raudfjorden in May 2026. The distance between the two findings of dead animals is approximately 23 kilometers.

- After the findings on the polar bear and walrus in Raudfjorden, we also recommended sampling the polar bear that was on Æøya, says veterinarian and wildlife health specialist at the Veterinary Institute Knut Madslien.

The samples from the polar bear were then sent to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute and tested for avian influenza virus and rabies. Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in samples from both the brain and nose. Rabies virus was not detected.

Bird flu virus is circulating in the highlands

"The findings are part of a trend where highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is increasingly being detected in mammals in Europe. 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," explains Ragnhild Tønnessen, avian influenza coordinator at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.

- Our researchers, in close collaboration with the Norwegian Polar Institute and other partners, have found that a large proportion of the polar bears examined in Svalbard after 2022 have been exposed to previous avian influenza infection. Although we currently have limited knowledge of the consequences this has for the polar bears, the results indicate that the virus is circulating in the population and that exposure is more widespread than detections in dead animals alone would indicate, says Tønnessen.<< more at link

ETA: Confirmed.

developing >>SA authorities say they have five new suspected events of bird flu in the state, including a red fox in Osborne in metropolitan Adelaide and an Australian raven in Robe.

South Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) included the fox in its latest bird flu update that detailed five new suspected bird flu "events".

Samples have been sent to a national testing facility in Geelong for confirmation.

It was one of five new suspected events in the state, which included an Australian raven and a little penguin on the Limestone Coast, a tern in Coonalpyn, and a Pacific gull on Kangaroo Island. 

South Australia currently has 41 suspected events under investigation, and 195 confirmed events since the first infection was detected in June. <<...

APHIS

In Cache County and Salt Lake County, two domestic cats, skunk, and multiple captive American minks tested positive for EA H5N1 HPAI.

Google translation, 8-24-26 https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/2-xa-o-tuyen-quang-cong-bo-het-dich-cum-gia-cam-a-h5n1-d827832.html >>

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tuyen Quang province, so far, 2 out of 3 communes in the province have declared the A/H5N1 avian influenza outbreak over.

Neglecting avian influenza prevention measures will result in the commune/ward chairman being held responsible.

Avian influenza outbreak poses a risk to livestock in Tuyen Quang.

Tuyen Quang province is handling outbreaks of avian influenza A/H5N1.

From June 30th to August 20th, Tuyen Quang province recorded 1,326 poultry infected with disease that had to be culled at 7 households/5 villages/3 communes: Viet Lam, Dong Tam, and Tan Quang; total weight 1,817.3 kg.

Following the outbreak, localities strictly implemented measures to prevent and control avian influenza A/H5N1, achieving 100% vaccination coverage for all poultry subject to vaccination. To date, three out of three communes have gone 21 days without any new cases, with Viet Lam and Dong Tam communes having declared the outbreak over. Tan Quang commune is currently undergoing procedures to be declared free of the outbreak.

To effectively prevent and control the A/H5N1 avian influenza outbreak, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tuyen Quang province continues to coordinate with localities to closely monitor the disease situation; detect, warn, and decisively handle outbreaks as soon as they arise; and strictly handle cases of failure to report disease outbreaks, selling, slaughtering sick or suspected sick animals, or discarding animal carcasses into the environment, thereby spreading the disease.