Bird flu spreads to mammals, raising concerns of human transmission

London: Bird flu, officially called highly pathogenic avian influensa, has increasingly spread to mammals, raising concern of human transmission, with foxes the most affected species and the United States reporting the widest number of mammals infected. The U.S. government in late March has reported cases of the disease in dairy cows in Texas and said one person who had contact with cows had been infected.

Cases of the disease in mammals have mostly been detected in Europe and the Americas. Here is a list of the type of mammals in which the virus - which has also infected hundreds of wild and captive bird species - has been detected between 2016 and 2024, according to data gathered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris; Editing by Bill Berkrot)