Highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has increasingly spread to mammals and infected hundreds of people, raising concerns that it may lead to human-to-human transmission and turn into a new pandemic.
Cases of the disease in mammals have mostly been detected in the Americas and Europe.
Sheep were added to the list on Monday with the UK government announcing a first case had been detected at a farm in northern England.
Some of the mammals such as dairy cows and sheep are farmed and so interact closely with humans, increasing the threat of transmission, while others have much less contact with people.
Pigs represent a particular concern for the spread of bird flu because they can become co-infected with bird and human viruses, which could swap genes to form a new, more dangerous virus that can more easily infect humans.
Read more: US reports first outbreak of deadly H7N9 bird flu since 2017
Here is a list of the types of mammals, other than humans, in which the virus – which has also infected hundreds of wild and captive bird species – has been detected between 2016 and 2025, according to data gathered by the European Food Safety Authority and U.S. Department of Agriculture, opens new tab.
Each category can include several species.
Updated data is preceded by a star *.
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Mammal
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Country
|
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Alpaca
|
U.S.
|
|
Badger
|
Netherlands
|
|
Bear
|
Canada, France, U.S.
|
|
Beech and pine marten
|
Netherlands, Germany
|
|
* Bobcat
|
U.S.
|
|
* Canadian lynx
|
U.S.
|
|
Caracal
|
Poland
|
|
Cat
|
Canada, France, Italy, Korea, U.S.
|
|
* Cheetah
|
U.S.
|
|
Coati
|
Germany, Uruguay
|
|
Cow
|
U.S.
|
|
Coyote
|
U.S.
|
|
* Crabeater seal
|
Antarctica
|
|
Dog
|
Canada, China, Italy
|
|
Dolphin
|
Canada, Chile, Peru, UK, U.S.
|
|
Domestic pig
|
France, Italy
|
|
* Ermine
|
U.S.
|
|
* European pine marten
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Netherlands
|
|
Ferret
|
Belgium, Slovenia
|
|
Fisher
|
U.S.
|
|
Fox
|
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, United Kingdom, U.S.
|
|
Goat
|
U.S.
|
|
Leopard
|
U.S.
|
|
Lion
|
Peru
|
|
Lynx
|
Finland, U.S.
|
|
Mink
|
Canada, Finland, Spain
|
|
Mountain lion
|
U.S.
|
|
* Mouse
|
U.S.
|
|
Opossum
|
U.S.
|
|
Otter
|
Chile, Netherlands, Finland, U.S.
|
|
* Pig
|
China, Indonesia, U.S.
|
|
Polar bear
|
U.S.
|
|
Polecat
|
Belgium, Netherlands
|
|
Porpoise
|
Chile, Sweden, United Kingdom
|
|
Prairie vole
|
U.S.
|
|
* Rabbit
|
U.S.
|
|
Racoon
|
Canada, U.S.
|
|
* Rat
|
U.S.
|
|
* Ringed seal
|
Canada
|
|
Sable
|
Finland
|
|
Sea lion
|
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay
|
|
* Seal
|
Antarctica, Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, U.S.
|
|
Seal (fur)
|
Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Russia, Uruguay
|
|
* Serval
|
U.S.
|
|
* Sheep
|
UK
|
|
Skunk
|
Canada, U.S.
|
|
Squirrel
|
U.S.
|
|
* Southern elephant seal
|
Antarctica
|
|
* Stoat
|
U.S.
|
|
Tiger
|
U.S.
|
|
Wild dog
|
Finland, Japan, UK
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