Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N5) detected in an Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, 2023

• Published in: Emerging Microbes & Infections
• Main Authors: Postel, Alexander, Gremmel, Nele, Lydersen, Christian, Kovacs, Kit M., Schick, Luca A., Siebert, Ursula, Nymo, Ingebjørg H., Becher, Paul
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2025
• Subjects: article; Hochschulbibliographie allgemein; Verzeichnis wissenschaftlicher Veröffentlichungen; ddc:630; 2024; Animals; Walruses; Influenza A virus; Orthomyxoviridae Infections; Phylogeny; Norway; Svalbard; Influenza in Birds; Infection; Virus; Arctic; Highly pathogenic avian influenza; Walrus; Svalbard Archipelago; Odobenus rosmarus; walrus*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2025.2456146; https://elib.tiho-hannover.de/receive/tiho_mods_00012843; https://elib.tiho-hannover.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/tiho_derivate_00003364/Highly%20pathogenic%20avian%20influenza%20virus%20H5N5%20detected%20in%20an%20Atlantic%20walrus%20Odobenus%20rosmarus%20rosmarus%20in%20the%20Svalbard%20Archipelago%20Norway%202023.pdf; https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC11795765; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2025.2456146

We present the first documented case of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N5 in an Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus). The animal was found dead in Svalbard, Norway, in 2023. Sequence analysis revealed the highest genetic similarity with virus isolates from different avian hosts.