May 30 (Reuters) - Bird flu, officially called highly pathogenic avian influenza, has increasingly spread to mammals, raising concern it may lead to human-to-human transmission, with foxes the most affected species and the United States reporting the widest number of mammals infected.

Officials confirmed on May 30 that a third U.S. dairy worker tested positive after exposure to infected cows.

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 and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

U.S. National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the H5N1 strain of bird flu in alpacas on May 16.

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https://www.reuters.com/world/bird-flu-spreads-mammals-raising-concerns-human-transmission-2024-04-03/