3 Grizzly bears euthanized after becoming sick, testing positive for bird flu in Montana: officials

Three grizzly bears have been euthanized in Montana after they grew to become ailing and examined optimistic for the extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, in response to the state’s Division of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

These have been the primary documented circumstances of hen flu in a grizzly in Montana and the primary nationwide for this outbreak of HPAI, in response to Dr. Jennifer Ramsey, the division’s wildlife veterinarian.

The juvenile bears have been in three separate places within the western a part of the state in the course of the fall, the Division of Fish, Wildlife & Parks mentioned in an announcement.

The bears “have been noticed to be in poor situation and exhibited disorientation and partial blindness, amongst different neurological points,” the assertion mentioned. “They have been euthanized because of their illness and poor situation.”

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Avian influenza — generally referred to as hen flu — is a naturally occurring virus that spreads shortly in birds. There have been documented circumstances of HPAI in a skunk and a fox in Montana final yr, and the virus has been seen in raccoons, black bears and a coyote in different states and nations, in response to the Montana company.

“The virus is unfold from one hen to a different,” Dr. Ramsey informed CNN through e mail. “These mammals seemingly acquired contaminated from consuming carcasses of HPAI contaminated birds.”

“Happily, not like avian circumstances, usually small numbers of mammal circumstances have been reported in North America,” Ramsey mentioned. “For now, we’re persevering with to check any bears that show neurologic signs or for which a reason for loss of life is unknown.”

Whereas discovering three grizzlies with hen flu in a brief time period could increase considerations, Ramsey mentioned it might be that there have been extra circumstances that have not been detected.

“When wildlife mortalities happen in such small numbers or people, and in species like skunks, foxes and bears that do not spend a number of time in conditions the place they’re extremely seen to the general public, they are often onerous to detect,” the wildlife veterinarian mentioned.

“If you get that first detection you have a tendency to begin trying tougher, and also you’re extra prone to discover new circumstances,” she mentioned. “When a lot of birds are discovered useless on a physique of water, it will get seen and reported… when somebody sees a useless skunk, they might suppose nothing of it and never report it.”

Whereas it is unknown simply how prevalent the virus is in wild birds, “we all know that the virus is energetic principally throughout your complete state as a result of large distribution of circumstances of HPAI mortality in some species of untamed birds,” Ramsey mentioned.

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The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention mentioned in November the nation was approaching “a document variety of birds affected in comparison with earlier hen flu outbreaks,” with greater than 49 million birds in 46 states dying or being killed because of publicity to contaminated birds.

Human infections with hen flu are uncommon however are doable, “normally after shut contact with contaminated birds. The present danger to most of the people from hen flu viruses is low,” the CDC says on its web site.

The Montana Division of Fish, Wildlife & Parks is asking individuals to report any birds or animals performing “uncommon or unexplained circumstances of illness and/or loss of life.”

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