Source:
https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/utah-avian-influenza-strain-confirmed/
Avian flu has been confirmed in three more Utah counties amid continued outbreak
by: Derick Fox
Posted: Feb 12, 2025 / 10:15 AM MST
Updated: Feb 12, 2025 / 10:19 AM MST
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A strain of avian influenza that has been spreading since April 2022 has now been found in three more Utah counties, bringing the total count up to 16, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR).
DWR officials said the virus was recently confirmed in Box Elder, Emery and San Juan counties. The current outbreak typically spreads during the spring and fall bird migrations.
“We saw a lull in new avian flu cases in wild birds from January 2024 to November 2024, but since last fall, we have seen another uptick in new cases across Utah,” DWR Veterinarian Ginger Stout said.
The birds most impacted by the latest increase in avian flu cases have been geese, hawks, gulls, owls, and eared grebes, according to DWR. Biologists confirmed that roughly 15,000 to 20,000 eared grebes have died near the Great Salt Lake, primarily due to the surge of avian flu...