Peruvian Sealions and 'Avian' 'Flu

Peru's shores have a population of more than 100,000 sealions. Almost 3,500 of these animals have recently died, after being infected with the H5N1 strain of bird 'flu (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/21/bird-flu-peru-sea-lions-suffer-death-beach-aoe-h5n1). Most previous cases of mammalian infection with the H5N1 strain, have involved animals (e.g. foxes and otters) scavenging dead bird carcasses. Seabirds are not, however, a favourite food of sealions. The actual level of infection in these Peruvian sealions, raises the spectre of possible mammal to mammal transmission. Sealions, basking in close approximation on beaches, might well facilitiate such a species jump. If this, indeed, proves to be the case, it would be very bad news.