bird flu

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Bird Flu Continues to Wreak Havoc, Killing Seals Worldwide

Tens of thousands of seals, sea lions have died, and scientists aren't sure how to slow the spread

(Newser) - Avian influenza is killing tens of thousands of seals and sea lions in different corners of the world, disrupting ecosystems and flummoxing scientists who don't see a clear way to slow the devastating virus . The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths of...

'Hundreds' of Dead Seals Block Antarctic Explorer's Grave

Virus has taken a heavy toll on South Georgia's wildlife

(Newser) - Passengers who'd hoped to walk with penguins on a cruise around the Antarctic Peninsula and the island of South Georgia weren't allowed to go ashore, but they witnessed distressing scenes of animals that had been killed by a bird flu outbreak in the region. Passenger Astrid Saunders tells...

Nasty Bird Flu Hits Antarctic Mammals
An Unwanted First
in Nasty Bird Flu
Jan 30, 2024 1:19 PM CST

An Unwanted First in Nasty Bird Flu

It's been found in sub-Antarctic animals for the first time

(Newser) - An unfortunate milestone has been logged in the continuing spread of a lethal form of bird flu, which has wreaked havoc from continent to continent since it first appeared in 2020. For the first time, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain of H5N1 has been confirmed in sub-Antarctic mammals,...

Hundreds of Animal Species Hit by 'Catastrophic' Flu Strain

Elephant seals, seabirds, and now a polar bear—could humans be hit hard next with H5N1?

(Newser) - "It is catastrophic ... the largest die-off for the species, period." That's how Martin Mendez, a marine biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, describes to the Washington Post the fate of hundreds of elephant seals last fall in Argentina, found dead along the shore of the Valdes Peninsula....

Bird Flu's Deadly Touch Has Now Reached Polar Bears

First death in the species is reported in Alaska

(Newser) - The "unprecedented" behavior of H5N1, the highly pathogenic avian influenza that has been causing a global outbreak since 2020 , has become even more so. The New York Times reports the strain has been found in a dead polar bear in far northern Alaska. It signifies the first known case...

Nearly 1M Chickens to Be Killed Due to Bird Flu

Though in general, 2023 has not been as bad as 2022

(Newser) - Nearly 1 million chickens on a Minnesota egg farm will be slaughtered to help limit the spread of the highly contagious bird flu after it was confirmed there, officials said Monday. The US Department of Agriculture announced that the virus was found at a farm in Wright County, Minnesota, as...

France Vaccinating 64M Ducks for Very French Reason

It's a $100M effort taken in part of safeguard the country's foie gras

(Newser) - How beloved is foie gras in France? Enough that the country is planning to vaccinate 64 million ducks to protect the delicacy. The New York Times reports the effort kicked off Monday in a bid to safeguard the birds from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI. Reuters reports ducks are...

Vaccine Approved as Bird Flu Kills Endangered Condors

California condors will be given vaccine after pilot safety study in vultures

(Newser) - As avian influenza continues to wreak havoc, a vaccine has been granted emergency approval for use on California condors. Authorities worry bird flu could wipe out the critically endangered species, having killed more than a dozen of them already, the AP reports. There are fewer than 350 in the wild,...

Woman Is First Known Human to Die From Bird Flu Strain

Chinese woman who died from H3N8 was exposed to live poultry at wet market

(Newser) - China has recorded the first known human death from a common strain of bird flu, though the World Health Organization says the risk of a wider outbreak appears to be low. The WHO says that according to information provided by Chinese authorities, the 56-year-old woman died from the H3N8 strain...

When It Comes to Bird Flu, 'It's a New War'

Virus emerges in record amounts, and in new places, meaning it may be here to stay

(Newser) - Will bird flu lead to the next pandemic? That's the question making the headline rounds of late, and the short answer is—it's possible, though the threat isn't currently high. What is the concern of the moment is that wild birds have spread avian influenza, which is...

Producers Seek to Use 'Cruelest' Method Amid Bird Flu Outbreak

Animal welfare advocates say ventilation shutdown is 'basically cooking animals alive'

(Newser) - Poultry producers fighting the ongoing bird flu outbreak want the government to make it easier to kill flocks using a method animal advocates have described as the cruelest one available. The US Department of Agriculture is being lobbied to make Ventilation Shutdown Plus—closing off barn vents so birds die...

Mystery of Seal Strandings May Be Solved

Tests confirm dead seals in Maine had avian flu

(Newser) - The avian flu epidemic appears to have claimed its first known marine mammal victims in North America. The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed four Maine seals who died or had to be euthanized tested positive for the virus, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. Officials tested the...

On Top of Avian Flu, Farmers Deal With Conspiracy Theories

As with COVID-19, misinformation spreads online

(Newser) - Brad Moline, a fourth-generation Iowa turkey farmer, saw this happen before. In 2015, a virulent avian flu outbreak nearly wiped out his flock. Barns once filled with chattering birds were suddenly silent. Employees were anguished by having to kill sickened animals. The family business, started in 1924, was at serious...

Avian Flu Is Killing Bald Eagles, Too

Experts worry about the effects during nesting season

(Newser) - The toll is much higher among chickens and turkeys , but the avian flu outbreak is killing bald eagles, as well. Since February, 41 dead bald eagles were found to have been infected with the virus, per the USDA. That doesn't include two others infected in New York late last...

Why Zoos Are Moving All Their Birds Inside

Because of avian flu, penguins are the only birds many visitors can see

(Newser) - Zoos across North America are moving their birds indoors and away from people and wildlife as they try to protect them from the highly contagious and potentially deadly avian influenza. Penguins may be the only birds visitors to many zoos can see right now, because they already are kept inside...

Bird Flu Outbreak Widens
Avian Flu Outbreak Widens
Feb 17, 2022 7:02 AM CST

Avian Flu Outbreak Widens

More than 300K chickens, turkeys could be affected in 3 states

(Newser) - A bird flu outbreak has spread and could now affect more than 300,000 chickens and turkeys in Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky. Last week, nearly 30,000 turkeys at one Indiana farm were euthanized after the H5N1 strain of avian flu was detected for the first time in the US...

Israel Suffers Its Deadliest Wildlife Disaster

At least 5K cranes dead in bird flu outbreak

(Newser) - A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel has killed at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forced farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens as authorities try to contain what they say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation's history. Uri Naveh, a senior scientist at the...

Bird Flu Strain Jumped to Humans for First Time: Russia

7 workers at plant feel fine, officials say, and work on a vaccine is beginning

(Newser) - Russia has reported the first instances of a strain of bird flu jumping from poultry to humans to the World Health Organization. The outbreak happened at a plant in southern Russia, officials said. "All seven people... are now feeling well," said Anna Popova, chief of the nation's...

An Unwelcome First for a Strain of Bird Flu

First H7N4 case confirmed in a human

(Newser) - A year after the World Health Organization announced it was on " high alert " over outbreaks of bird flu, China has confirmed the first human case of strain H7N4. Health officials say a 68-year-old woman who fell ill in Jiangsu province on Dec. 25 was infected with the strain,...

WHO on &#39;High Alert&#39; Over Bird Flu
WHO on 'High Alert'
Over Bird Flu
Jan 26, 2017 2:37 AM CST

WHO on 'High Alert' Over Bird Flu

Worrying strains are spreading fast

(Newser) - The World Health Organization says it's on high alert over outbreaks of bird flu that have killed people in China and caused large-scale slaughtering of birds elsewhere. "The rapidly expanding geographical distribution of these outbreaks and the number of virus strains currently co-circulating have put WHO on high...

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