BERLAIN, Germany — A weasel-like animal called a stone marten was infected with the deadly bird flu virus, marking the disease's spread to a second mammal species, a German laboratory said Thursday.
The sickly animal was found on the north German island of Ruegen, where three cats and dozens of wild birds have been infected with the disease, the agriculture ministry of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said.
A veterinarian euthanized the sickly marten and sent its corpse for further testing.
The rapid spread of the virus in birds throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia has been accompanied by fears it will mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans and cause a worldwide flu pandemic.
Scientists noted that cats and martens eat similar prey. Wild cats in Asia have tested positive for the H5N1 infection, and cats in Austria have as well.
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