( CNN ) -- A new strain of avian flu that jumped from birds to mammals is responsible for the death of more than 160 seals off the New England coast last year , scientists announced Tuesday . The virus could theoretically pose a threat to human health , they said . Harbor seals -- most of them babies less than 6 months old -- began appearing with severe pneumonia and skin lesions in September of last year , the researchers said . Over the next few months , at least 162 dead seals were recovered along the coast from Maine to Massachusetts , they said . Mutant bird flu would be airborne , scientists say . Testing pointed at a new strain of the H3N8 flu virus being called seal H3N8 . `` When initial tests revealed an avian influenza virus , we asked the obvious question : How did this virus jump from birds to seals ? '' lead researcher Simon Anthony of Columbia University said . The virus developed the ability to attack mammalian respiratory tracts , scientists learned . It may also have developed enhanced virulence and transmission in mammals , they said , but they need to do more tests to be sure . Avian flu has spread to humans before , most notably H1N1 and H5N1 , so the new strain could pose a threat to public health , scientists warned . `` HIV/AIDS , SARS , West Nile , Nipah and influenza are all examples of emerging infectious diseases that originated in animals , '' said W. Ian Lipkin , director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University . `` Any outbreak of disease in domestic animals or wildlife , while an immediate threat to wildlife conservation , must also be considered potentially hazardous to humans , '' he said . The research is published in the journal mBio . It was carried out by scientists from the Center for Infection & Immunity at Columbia University 's Mailman School of Public Health , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , New England Aquarium , the USGS National Wildlife Health Center , SeaWorld and EcoHealth Alliance . CNN 's Miriam Falco contributed to this report .
A new strain of avian flu has mutated and is killing baby seals , scientists say . More than 160 dead seals washed up on the New England coast last year . The new virus could theoretically be a threat to human health , scientists say .