Colorado avian flu spreads to a black bear and mountain lion, raising fears of broader reach
The bird disease has wiped out millions of domestic chickens and thousands of wild waterfowl, but is now crossing over into other animals.
The Colorado Sun
Dana Bove, Front Range Eagle Studies/Special to the Colorado Sun
Colorado’s worst-ever avian flu outbreak has crossed over into more mammals, including a black bear put down in Huerfano County and a mountain lion found dead in Gunnison County, state wildlife officials said Thursday.
While the number of mammal cases of the bird-spread flu remains low, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said, the recent deaths confirm national warnings that the massive current outbreak will have an impact beyond domestic chickens and wild waterfowl.
More than 6 million chickens have been killed on commercial egg farms in Colorado during the latest outbreak, which accelerated in the spring and fall of 2022. Thousands more wild birds have been killed by the fast-working disease, including large flocks of snow and Canada geese near Eastern Plains reservoirs. A handful of raptors have also been felled by the disease, including bald eagles, which total only a few hundred nesting pairs across Colorado.
Wildlife officials and researchers believe the mammals usually come in contact with avian flu by feeding on bird carcasses. A few cases have been reported in smaller mammals, and there are worries in other states that mink farms will further spread the disease.
Crossover to humans for the current strain of avian flu so far is extremely rare, with one case in Colorado from a worker in close contact with large chicken populations.
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“CPW continues to stress the importance of keeping your distance from wildlife, and specifically not handling sick or dead birds. Although rare, some HPAI strains can infect people,” a state news release said. “The main protection for the general public is to avoid handling sick or dead birds and keep your distance from wildlife.”
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