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Bird flu is now widespread in wild bird populations throughout Michigan, according to state testing.
That’s the conclusion of sampling of dead wild birds across Lower Michigan suspected to be positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. The testing was done as part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ ongoing disease surveillance.
The current bird flu outbreak is most obvious to the public through the increase in the price of eggs, with supply chain issues created as a result. Recently, Nevada legislators voted to advance legislation to temporarily suspend certain regulations related to the sale and transport of eggs as a way to offset the increases.
While the risk of HPAI infecting people is low, authorities say the virus can infect people, especially those who come in contact with infected animals or materials. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the public health risk associated with HPAI to be low, precautions are advised to avoid contracting or spreading the virus.
“If you find a dead wild bird, you should leave it alone; however, if you need to remove it, do not touch it with your bare hands. You should wear gloves and other personal protective equipment,” said Mitch Marcus, DNR Wildlife Health supervisor. “The best advice we can give is to treat every wild bird as though it has a disease.”
The virus began sweeping through every state starting in January 2022 with nearly 160 million wild, commercial, hobby and backyard birds affected nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
According to a DNR press release, more than 300 dead wild birds have been discovered in five counties, including about 100 dead birds reported in Washtenaw County, more than 80 dead Canada geese reported along the Shiawassee River near Owosso in Shiawassee County, 77 dead Canada geese and one dead mallard at the Fennville Farm Unit at Allegan State Game Area in Allegan County, more than two dozen dead Canada geese reported at Williamston Lakes in Ingham County, and another 20 dead birds reported along the Grand River in Grand Ledge in Eaton County.
Preliminary results of samples from the Allegan State Game Area, Shiawassee River, Williamston Lakes and Washtenaw County sites, which were sent to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory in East Lansing, indicated avian influenza is suspected.
Confirmation of the virus can take up to several months to complete as samples have to be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for final testing to confirm and identify any highly pathogenic strains of an avian influenza virus.
Considered to be highly contagious, HPAI causes sickness and sometimes death in birds and mammals. The virus spreads through fecal droppings or nasal discharge of an infected bird, which contaminates the environment.
Anyone who observes a die-off of six or more wild birds, is asked to report it to the DNR at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField. They can also report wild birds or other wild animals that appear sick.
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