Bird flu spreads to mammals, fears of human transmission

(Reuters) -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.

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.

Each category can include several species.

Updated data is preceded by a star *.

Mammal Country

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 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 Antarctica

seal

* Stoat U.S.

Tiger U.S.

Wild dog Finland, Japan, UK

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; editing by David Evans)