New York/Winnipeg - Debby, the oldest known polar bear in captivity, is suffering signs of decline after suffering several strokes, according to the Winnipeg Sun newspaper on Saturday.

The female bear has lost nearly 50 kilograms in the past year and is no longer interested in eating, according to zoo officials in Winnipeg, in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

"The outlook that she would recover is not good," zoo curator Bob Wrigley was quoted as saying.

Winnipeg: Canadian veterinary functionaries stated that they have detected the H7N3 strain of avian influenza on a Saskatchewan farm, but pointed out the virus was not the lethal strain, which researchers fear could result in the next flu plague.