Three Montana Grizzly Bears Euthanized Last Fall Tested Positive for Avian Flu

Three younger grizzly bears in Montana that had been euthanized final fall later examined optimistic for the extremely contagious avian influenza, the state’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks service introduced this week, fueling fears that the virus that has killed thousands and thousands of poultry within the final yr is quickly spreading to different animal teams.

The bears had been disoriented, had begun to go blind and had been euthanized on account of their poor situation, the parks service mentioned in a information launch on Tuesday. They examined optimistic for the virus in January, mentioned Dr. Jennifer Ramsey, the veterinarian for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. She mentioned the bears had more than likely contracted the virus from consuming diseased birds with excessive ranges of the virus.

The outbreak of the present pressure of the chicken flu generally known as H5N1 is “the biggest overseas animal illness outbreak in U.S. historical past,” in keeping with a spokesman for the U.S. Agriculture Division. It has contaminated almost 60 million industrial and yard flocks of birds in 47 states, and its close to ubiquity has pushed up poultry costs and induced egg shortages in supermarkets throughout the nation, as customers jostle for cartons topping $7 or extra.

A lot of the infections are present in wild birds, and a few of these unfold to different animals that prey on them. The Agriculture Division has recorded avian flu infections in 110 mammals since Might 2022, together with raccoons, foxes and skunks. The grizzly bears’ optimistic exams mark the primary time that Montana has recorded chicken flu in a mammal species.

“It’s disappointing,” Dr. Ramsey mentioned in an interview. “I feel within the spring we had a extremely excessive peak of untamed chicken mortality and all of us had a hope that this factor would sort of fade out over the summer time, after which we wouldn’t have numerous instances this winter. However that hasn’t been the case.”

Vaccines towards the chicken flu exist however aren’t but extensively obtainable for the H5N1 pressure in america. Solely a handful of instances have been recorded in people. Dr. Ramsey mentioned she beneficial that people preserve their pets away from useless birds and put on gloves when dealing with any useless wildlife.

Wild chicken populations are likely to migrate throughout a whole lot of miles and are sometimes asymptomatic when contaminated, making it tough for wildlife specialists to trace and comprise the virus. Ought to it proceed to unfold in the course of the spring and summer time when temperatures heat and mammals emerge from hibernation, infectious illness specialists say, the virus is prone to develop into extra widespread amongst different animal teams, together with mammals and aquatic animals.

Nonetheless, the extent of an infection in birds is sufficient trigger for concern for the specialists monitoring its unfold.

“Now we have not had this virus in our a part of the world on this scale earlier than,” mentioned Richard Webby, a director within the Division of Infectious Illnesses at St. Jude Youngsters’s Analysis Hospital. “On the planet of flu, it is a fairly main occasion.”