Bird Flu in Marine Mammals: H5N1 Avian Flu detected in Dolphin in Florida and Porpoise in Sweden

In a first, a case of H5N1 avian influenza virus, more commonly known as bird flu, has been detected in a bottlenose dolphin in Florida and a porpoise in Sweden. This version of the virus has affected an unusually broad array of species across the world. However, these are the first ever documented cases of avian influenza in cetaceans, a group of marine mammals that includes dolphins, porpoises, and whales.