[1/2] People wearing protective suits collect dead birds, as there is a major outbreak of bird flu, in Vadso municipality in Finnmark in Norway, July 20,2023. Oyvind Zahl Arntzen/NTB/via REUTERS/File PhotoCOPENHAGEN, July 28 (Reuters) - Norway and Finland face record outbreaks of bird flu this year which have killed thousands of seagulls and other species, put livestock at risk and restricted travel in some areas, officials said. Avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has circulated throughout Europe in recent years, leading to a cull in May and June of millions of birds on French farms alone and affecting the supply of poultry meat and eggs. The H5N1 virus strain has spread among poultry and wild birds for years but there have been sporadic outbreaks reported globally in mammals such as cats, mink and otters. Neighbouring Finland also said wild birds were heavily affected and that the H5N1 strain has now been found in 20 fur farms, up from 12 earlier this week.

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Persons: Oyvind Zahl, Ole, Herman Tronerud, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Terje Solsvik, Toby Chopra Organizations: Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Norwegian Food, World Health, Thomson Locations: Vadso, Finnmark, Norway, COPENHAGEN, Finland, Europe, Norway's Finnmark, Norwegian