Study of H5N1 avian flu seal deaths reveals multiple lineages Lisa Schnirring Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Tim Sackton / Flickr cc Share Deaths of seals from H5N1 avian influenza in seals stranded on New England beaches last summer stoked growing concerns about the susceptibility of mammals, including humans, to the virus, and now researchers have shared detailed genetic findings from both the seals and birds from the environment, noting a range of virus lineages in the animals and a low species barrier.