Bird Flu Found in Stone Marten in Germany

A weasel-like animal called a stone marten was infected with the deadly bird flu virus, marking the disease's spread to another 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 little less than two feet in length, stone martens have long bushy tails and prey on squirrels, birds and eggs. They have brown fur with a patch of white on their chest.

A veterinarian put down 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 disease, and cats in Austria have as well.

Bird Flu Found in Stone Marten in Germany