3 oddly-acting Montana grizzlies put down after contracting bird flu amid outbreak of disease
Avian Influenza was first detected in Montana last spring and continues to have a significant impact on domestic and wild birds, wildlife officials said. The reported bird flu outbreak across the county has even caused egg prices to increase dramatically.
Grizzly bear population recovery plan
Grizzly bears could be reintroduced into the North Cascades to end decades of a population decline.
HELENA, Mont. – Three young Montana grizzly bears have been euthanized after contracting a highly contagious strain of bird flu last fall.
The bears, which were found near Augusta, Dupuyer and Kalispell, were in poor condition and exhibited disorientation and partial blindness as well as other neurological issues, officials at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said.
These were the first documented cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in grizzly bears, wildlife officials said Tuesday.
AGENCIES EVALUATE OPTIONS TO RESTORE GRIZZLY BEARS TO NORTH CASCADES AFTER POPULATION VANISHES
FILE -- Brown bear cubs play and fight on the Kurile Lake beach in the Kamchatka peninsula of the Russian Federation on Nov. 25, 2020.
(Valerio Ferraro/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
A fox and a skunk in Montana also tested positive for HPAI last year, and the virus has been found in raccoons, black bears and even a coyote in other states and countries.
"We suspect these mammals probably get the virus from consuming infected birds," the department's wildlife veterinarian Jennifer Ramsey said.
BIRD FLU IS KILLING BALD EAGLES AS OUTBREAK SWEEPS ACROSS US
Bird flu outbreak
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPAI viruses have been detected in nearly 58 million wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry and backyard or hobbyist flocks in the U.S. since last January.
Montana's first case of avian influenza was detected last spring and continues to have a significant impact on domestic and wild birds, wildlife officials said.
"Many people have noticed dead geese in the Missouri River in and around Great Falls, which are suspected to have died from the disease," the agency said. "Cold weather is helping to preserve the carcasses and keeping these waterfowl mortalities noticeable for longer periods of time."
Although there have been no reports of human infections from the avian influenza strains recently detected in the U.S., people and pets should avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife, and gloves should always be worn if a dead animal must be handled for disposal.
WATCH: BEAR LANDS ON CALIFORNIA ROOF AFTER TREE TOPPLES AMID ATMOSPHERIC RIVER-FUELED WINDSTORM
Colorized transmission electron micrograph of Avian influenza A H5N1 viruses (seen in gold) grown in MDCK cells (seen in green).
(Smith Collection/Gado / Getty Images)
Shell-shocked over eggs
The outbreak of bird flu has driven a shortage of eggs as well as a dramatic increase in prices in stores throughout some parts of the country.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the Consumer Price Index for eggs rose 11.1% in December – 160% over the level of December 2021 – to an average price of $4.25 per dozen. That price was nearly $2.50 higher than the $1.79 price in December 2021.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the prices for shell eggs at retail have begun to ease but remain at historically high levels.
Eggs are seen on a shelf at Pioneer Supermarkets on January 12, 2023 in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn borough in New York City.
(Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)
What is bird flu?
Avian influenza is a naturally occurring virus in birds and is classified into two groups based on the severity of the disease they cause in infected poultry.
Low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses generally cause no clinical illness or only minor symptoms in birds. HPAI viruses are extremely infectious and fatal to poultry and some species of wild birds.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk of HPAI spread to humans very low. However, people should take precautions when handling game birds as well as sick or dead birds and mammals they find.
Whenever possible, avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife, officials warn. Even if an animal is not suspected of having died from a contagious disease, gloves should always be worn if a dead animal must be handled for disposal.