An Alaskan polar bear has become the first of its species to reportedly die from avian influenza, also known as HBN1, after the disease was first detected in the US in January of 2022.
It’s believed that the animal had been feasting on carcasses of dead birds that had contracted the disease, State Veterinarian Dr Bob Gerlach told the Alaska Beacon. Its body was discovered in Alaska’s North Slope Borough, near Utqiagvik, in October. The death marks the first of its kind worldwide.
