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Updated: Feb 3, 2025
Hundreds of ducks found sick or dead along Lake Michigan as outbreak of H5N1 bird flu hits Chicago area
CHICAGO — Hundreds of ducks infected with avian influenza — H5N1 bird flu — have been found along the shores of Lake Michigan in the Chicago area, prompting warnings from area health officials.
The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors (CBCM), a volunteer conservation project dedicated to the protection of migratory birds, said in a post on its Facebook page Sunday that the bird flu outbreak “is posing a serious threat to the bird life in the Chicago region this winter.”
The outbreak started in December and has now spread from a few reports in the suburbs to hundreds in the city, along Lake Michigan, over the last week.
Annette Prince, CBCM director, tells WGN the conservation group received many calls over this past weekend about sick or dead ducks. After reports began to flock in Friday, from Hyde Park on Chicago’s South Side to Wilmette on the North Shore, the red-breasted merganser seems to be the latest species impacted by the H5N1 bird flu.
The red-breasted merganser is a species of diving duck that typically winters in the Great Lakes region
“We had a massive reporting of particularly one type of bird, which is a red-breasted and common merganser version, which was showing up dead or sick,” Prince said
continued: https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/...group-reports/
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Bird flu leaves hundreds of ducks dead or severely sick along Lake Michigan, monitor group reports
Updated on: February 3, 2025 / 10:34 PM CST / CBS Chicago
By Eric Henderson, Marissa Sulek
CHICAGO — Monitors with an area bird tracking organization say that they've determined that a number of ducks have succumbed to bird flu along Lake Michigan.
The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors reported that, after noting the deleterious effects of bird flu among goose, eagle, hawk, and owl populations in recent weeks, they're now fielding multiple reports of bird flu among the red-breasted merganser population. Red-breasted merganser ducks come to Chicago for the winter.
The bird collision monitors said they're also seeing some H5N1 symptoms cropping up among crows and gulls.
"These birds are grounded on beaches, yards, parking lots and sidewalks. They present with tremors and little ability to move," the organization reported Sunday. Other symptoms they're observing include weakness, lack of balance, diarrhea, respiratory issues and also cloudy eyes.
At the 31st Street Beach, duck after duck ended up on the shore after being infected with bird flu. ...
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How are migrating wild birds affected by H5N1 infection in the U.S.?- February 13, 2025 8:01 am
- by Diana Yates
- Life Sciences Editor
How is the H5N1 bird flu virus affecting wild bird populations in the U.S., and Illinois, specifically?
H5N1, avian flu, is of concern for wild birds, especially birds that congregate in large numbers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, more than 11,000 wild birds have been found with H5N1 infection across the U.S. since January 1, 2022, with more than 114 detections in 2025 so far.
In Illinois, we saw a die-off of several dozen waterfowl, most of them snow geese, at Baldwin Lake in Randolph County late last year. This month already, hundreds of waterfowl were found dead on Chicago beaches, likely a result of bird flu. There are likely many more uncounted infections and mortality among wild birds.
At this point, however, I do not think H5N1 infection is having a large impact on wild avian populations, but we need to continue to monitor colonial breeding birds and other species that gather in large numbers.
Do the four migration flyways ― Pacific, Central, Mississippi and Eastern ― differ in how they affect or are affected by bird flu?
The different flyways have some different species, and, in some cases, there are locations where large numbers of individuals will stop during migration or in winter. Currently one of the concerns is for waterfowl. Most of the infected wild birds over the last year in Illinois have been ducks and geese. In the Mississippi flyway many waterfowl species have large populations along large rivers and thus we expect those areas might be impacted.
Do times of peak bird migration coincide with an uptick in bird flu infections in birds and other species in the U.S.?
The highly pathogenic avian flu can be difficult to detect and most often we notice the impact when the public finds dead birds. Because birds congregate in winter and during migration, the flu is more likely to spread. However, birds that breed in groups such as herons, egrets and other colonial waterbirds may also experience high infection rates. Given that we have been seeing more avian flu than usual, we need to be on the lookout for dead birds during all seasons.
What human activities contribute to or prevent the spread of diseases like H5N1 in wild birds or from wild birds to humans or other animals?
As with humans, flu can move between individuals, and when birds gather in large groups in close proximity to one another, there is the possibility that many individuals will become infected. Humans should avoid attracting large numbers of birds to one location, particularly waterfowl. Some people have been known to feed geese or ducks with bread in parks. This is a bad idea for many reasons, but an added concern is the possibility of geese and ducks infecting each other.
The largest economic issue is associated with avian flu getting into poultry farms, and many farms take precautions to keep wild birds away from their flocks. While extremely rare, there are documented cases of humans getting avian flu so people should avoid handling dead birds and areas with a large number of roosting birds.
Is the spread of new viruses among ― and via ― wild birds an inevitable fact of life?
Diseases continue to spread around the world, often being facilitated by humans. Therefore, we expect that new diseases will occasionally outbreak in wild birds. One way to reduce the probability of disease outbreaks is by maintaining large tracts of quality habitat, where birds can stay healthy and maintain natural spacing between individuals.
What should people do if they see dead birds on their property?
I would encourage people to report bird mortalities to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Do not touch dead or sick birds. If you decide to collect them or dispose of them, use gloves and enclose them securely in plastic.
Bird feeders are unlikely to be an issue, but it is also a good idea to disinfect bird feeders every few weeks. It is also very important to keep wild birds away from captive birds.
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Bald eagle found in northwest suburbs may have died from bird flu, expert says
A raptor was discovered earlier this month in Busse Woods near Elk Grove Village, and may have been part of one of six known pairs in Cook County. Avian flu is wreaking havoc not just on barnyard birds, but on wild flocks and the egg supply across the country.
By Robert Herguth
Feb 16, 2025, 8:36pm EST
A bald eagle was found dead from suspected bird flu in recent days in a forested area of the northwest suburbs, another signal of how serious the disease has gotten for wild creatures as well as farm animals.
The male raptor — that may have been part of a pair of eagles that has long nested in Busse Woods just off the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway near Elk Grove Village — was found dead near the roost on Feb. 3 and subsequently tested, with the “results indicating” it had avian influenza, says Chris Anchor of the Cook County Forest Preserve District.
There’s no way to know exactly how the eagle got sick, but it’s likely the bird consumed infected prey, Anchor says.
more....https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/...lu-cook-countyComment
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Bird tests positive for Avian Flu in Effingham Co.
by: Molly Sweeney
Posted: Feb 16, 2025 / 07:04 PM CST
Updated: Feb 16, 2025 / 07:05 PM CST
EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — The Effingham County Health Department is warning the public that a bird in their community recently tested positive for Avian Influenza.
On Feb. 11, a hawk was collected in Effingham County and submitted for testing at the University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Testing Lab. On Feb. 14, the health department was informed that the bird had tested positive for Avian Influenza.
more....https://www.wcia.com/news/effingham-...-effingham-co/
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