The first case of bird flu has now been confirmed on Holmön.
It was on April 12 that the dead sea eagle was found and sent to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.
Now it has turned out that the eagle was infected with the virus, something that Västerbottingen was the first to tell.
It is feared that there is a large dark figure.
Many rot away
- If we have found a dead one, there are probably more eagles lying and rotting away in the fields, says Olsen.
He believes that the outbreak could have serious consequences in the long term.
- There is a big risk that we will end up with a much poorer archipelago.
Aquatic birds and birds of prey will be affected.
In the long run, entire bird populations may become extinct.
This is really bad news, says the professor.
Aggressive virus with high mortality
Now all sick and dead birds must be reported to the county administrative board or SVA so that you get a picture of how big the outbreak is.
- We must be afraid of biological diversity, because it is that which is affected.
I see it as unlikely that we would get the virus into humans.
It is a virus that mainly infects birds, but if you have close contact with sick birds, you can become infected.
If you get infected, it is a very aggressive virus and the mortality rate is very high, says Björn Olsen.