Avian Flu Also a Danger to Wild Birds

Thursday, February 20th, 2025 -- 10:00 AM

(Anna Marie Yanny, Wisconsin Public Radio) The recent uptick in avian flu, caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus that’s been circulating in North America since late 2021, is not only affecting industrial chickens, eggs and cattle.

According to Anna Marie Yanny with Wisconsin Public Radio, it’s also harming wild birds. For those who become infected, the outcome is grim. “Most of them die,” said veterinarian Diana Boon, director of conservation medicine at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo.

“And there’s really no cure or treatment for this disease except for supportive care.” Staff at the foundation have taken precautions to protect the cranes at the facility, including limiting exposure to nearby waterfowl, like ducks, that can spread the virus.

Staff are also taking precautions, including changing shoes, to make sure they don’t accidentally track the virus into crane exhibits. They’ve seen recent reports of infected sandhill cranes in other states.

Hundreds of sandhill cranes have died in Indiana, according to a Feb 15 article in the Chicago Tribune.  Numbers like that are concerning, Boon said. “From 2021 through January, all the cases that were being reported were single cases, like a single sandhill crane,” Boon said.

And the disease isn’t just a risk to cranes. Infected Canada geese and swans have been found in Dane, St. Croix, Wood, Brown and Racine counties this winter, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

As of Feb. 11, the flu was detected in nearly 12,000 wild birds and affected over 150 million poultry, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And the count for wild birds is likely vastly underreported, Boon said. “A lot of the testing has really been focused on poultry,” Boon said.

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