Avian Influenza: What is Happening to the Bird Population?

Over the past few years, avian Influenza, officially known as the H5N1 bird flu, has infected the bird population around the globe. From raptors across North America to now penguins on Antartica, avian influenza has become a pressing issue in the modern wildlife world. How did this deadly bird flu even arise?

Although this may be the first time you are hearing about avian influenza, the H5N1 strain has been around for around 30 years. The first recorded case occurred as early as 1996 in southern China -- it was associated with 18 human deaths as well. Luckily, most strains of avian influenza today are not as contagious to humans. However, environmentalists have been concerned due to the record-breaking number of affected birds, both wild and commercial poultry.  In the US alone, at the time of this writing, 81 million birds have been affected.

A string of articles by The Guardian describes the different animals affected by avian influenza. Many endangered animals, even those that are not birds, are threatened by this infectious disease. Our interconnected ecosystem is vulnerable, as infected birds might be scavenged by mammals or other creatures and then relay similar symptoms. Migratory routes and the movement of infected birds play a pivotal role in this contagious spread as well.

At the Lindsay Wildlife Center, I have personally seen much stress and fear around H5N1 strain. As more raptor patients enter the hospital with this influenza, safety precautions have skyrocketed in recent years to protect the resident raptors that serve as educational animal ambassadors. In 2022, for example, I had to constantly use medical shoe covers and masks throughout the building, disinfecting myself along the way too. While these measures may seem extreme, it demonstrates how contagious the disease truly is. We took every necessary step to stop the spread of this disease across the rehabilitation center. 

Unfortunately, endangered species and our wild bird population are only a fraction of the problem. Economically, the avian influenza has place the poultry industry in jeopardy.  With the fear of a massive outbreak among domestic birds, the poultry industry has suffered with costly sacrifices. Since December 2023, around 2.6 million chickens have been euthanized to prevent the spread of avian influenza in California.  Consumers have felt the consequence of this with higher prices.

With the migration of thousands of bird species all over the world, avian influenza may turn into a pandemic. Fortunately, there seems to be very little threat to people at this time. Although there has been the rare case of a human infected with H5N1, the risk is quite low and there has not been any confirmation of human to human transmission.  Nonetheless, the recent Avian Influenza outbreak is something to keep an eye on,  drastically affecting industries and threatening all species across the globe. 

If you want to learn more about how scientists are combating this bird epidemic, visit The World Organization for Animal Health.