For the first time, a highly contagious strain of bird flu has been detected in three dead bald eagles in Georgia, the state Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday.
Testing at a federal lab in Iowa confirmed that the virus was responsible for the deaths, according to Bob Sargent, a program manager with DNR’s wildlife resources division.
The strain of avian flu is also believed to be the culprit behind disruptions in breeding by bald eagles along the Georgia coast. There were roughly 30% more failed nests that did not fledge young eaglets along the coast so far this year, the state said.
In other parts of the state, eaglets appear to be fledging at normal rates, Sargent said, though results of a statewide survey won’t be ready until later this spring.
“We’re concerned, but I would not say that we’re alarmed by this,” Sargent said. “Birds in the interior of the state are exhibiting normal nesting success.”
The strain of bird flu detected in the three dead bald eagles is known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. It is found worldwide, is untreatable and often lethal to birds that contract it.
No cases of the virus have ever been detected in humans in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human infections have occurred in other countries, most often after long periods of unprotected contact with infected birds, the CDC says.
One infected bird each was found in Chatham, Glynn and Liberty counties along the Georgia coast, but DNR said additional eagle carcasses are being tested. A total of 11 other birds, including multiple species of ducks, have also tested positive for bird flu this year in Georgia, DNR said.
Several eagles have tested positive in surrounding states, including the Carolinas and Florida. Wild birds in 30 states have been found infected so far this year, including birds in some commercial and backyard poultry and pheasant flocks, mostly in northern states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Georgia’s poultry industry has not reported any cases as a result of this outbreak. The last cases to affect Georgia’s chicken industry were in 2015, according to state Department of Agriculture spokesperson Bo Warren.
Still, the stakes are high for Georgia’s chicken producers. Georgia is the top U.S. producer of broiler chickens, a $4 billion industry.
In a statement, Warren said the bird flu cases show that “it’s imperative that we remain vigilant in protecting our domestic bird populations from the virus and follow all biosecurity protocols.”
Symptoms of HPAI in birds include lethargy, tremors and seizures. DNR says the public should report sick or dead birds to the agency, but such birds should not be handled.
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