Avian flu devastates wild bird populations across the US

A highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza is killing wild birds in numbers never seen before, with an estimated 200 million birds dying worldwide. The virus has been circulating broadly in wild birds, leading to significantly greater mortality than what was previously experienced. Dabbling ducks such as mallards are believed to be the carriers, as they don’t appear to be symptomatic or die from infections. The virus has also been found in mammals, including scavenging species and opportunistic marine mammals. The impact of the virus could be lessened somewhat this year, but the ongoing response is unique in the number of detections, the geographical distribution of outbreaks, and its long duration.