Bald eagles have been detected with bird flu, which has spread throughout the United States and affects birds in most states.
At least 36 bald eagles died in 14 states after being infected with the virus, according to the report. Latest data From the US Department of Agriculture. Eagles in the other two states are suspected of being ill.
U.S. reports worst outbreak bird influenza Since 2015, especially for domestic deaths of poultry according to Parent. Bird flu also has serious effects on wild birds.
The latest strain, H5N1, has been detected in more than 600 wild birds in more than 30 states, with most known cases located east of Colorado. North Carolina has reported the highest number of 143 cases so far.
Last week, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Reported a virus Dead bodies of three bald eagles in a coastal county.
“In six coastal counties in Georgia, annual DNR aerial surveys of bald eagle nesting revealed more failed nests (younger, non-fledged nests) than expected,” the agency said. “Some nests had dead eagles. Other nests had lost young ones that would not normally have left the nest yet.”
Based on early data, the agency reported that the success of Georgian nests along the coast is likely to decline by about 30% this year. Eagles may have been infected with the virus by preying on or cleaning dead or sick waterfowl with bird flu.
This strain, also known as “highly pathogenic birds” influenzaWas found in the Bald Eagles of Florida, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
Wild birds can be infected with the virus, but there are no signs of illness, USDA reported. The ministry’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says it expects more cases to appear in more states as wild bird tracking continues this spring.
“They can carry the disease to new areas when they migrate and expose poultry to the virus,” the agency wrote.
USDA and poultry industry experts are monitoring the spread of the virus nationwide and are currently active in poultry in 29 states. Since January, the virus has been detected in over 28 million commercial and backyard herds, including chickens and turkeys. Latest CDC update..
So far, the CDC reports that the virus has a low risk of infecting humans. As of Tuesday, no human infection with the H5N1 strain has been recorded in the United States.
To prevent the spread of bird flu, people need to avoid handling sick and dead birds and keep pets away from wild birds. The CDC advised that dead birds should be reported to the State Wildlife Service or the State Health Department.
“As a general precaution, people should avoid direct contact with wild birds as much as possible and observe them only from a distance,” the CDC writes. Updated guidance..
Source
Parents: “Avian influenza spreads to bald eagles as the outbreak spreads throughout the United States.”
USDA: “2022 Detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds”.
Georgia Natural Resources Authority: “Avian influenza detected in a bald eagle in Georgia”.
CDC: “Overview of the Current Situation of Avian Influenza”, “Prevention and Antiviral Treatment of People’s Avian Influenza Virus”.
