Johanna Hol Fosse, Grim Rømo, Francesco Bonfante, Ida Kristin Myhrvold, Kristin Stangeland Soetart, Kristin Udjus, Ragnhild Tønnessen
A 2023 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in seabirds in Norway caused substantial environmental contamination of grazing areas frequented by local sheep. Eleven months later, 220 sheep were tested for antibodies to type A influenza and H5 subtype using ELISA, haemagglutination inhibition and microneutralisation assays. One ewe (0.5%) tested positive by all methods, consistent with prior spillover infection. This underscores the importance of restricting livestock access to outbreak areas to mitigate cross-species transmission and zoonotic risk.