(DW) A bird flu outbreak on a Spanish mink farm has alarmed scientists. The virus may be spreading for the first time from mammal to mammal — and could become a danger for humans. It started in October 2022, when several dead mink were discovered on a farm in Galicia in northwestern Spain. Veterinarians initially blamed the coronavirus. But tests revealed that the highly pathogenic avian flu virus H5N1 was the culprit. To stop the spread of the dangerous pathogen, more than 50,000 mink on the farm were killed. While farm workers themselves were not infected, the case remains a cause of concern for scientists.
Could bird flu in mink signal threat of a human pandemic?
