Cases of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza have slowed down in recent days, but the contagious strain has been detected in three Montana grizzly bears.
The bears tested positive in the fall of 2022, but were recently put down due to suffering from neurological issues, including partial blindness, according to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
These three bears are the first documented cases of HPAI in grizzlies. It was detected in other bear species prior, with the first being a black bear cub in Alaska. Kimberlee Beckmen, a wildlife veterinarian with Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game said it was devastating that the cub was not going to recover, saying, “Its brain was swollen, and it would have died, probably within hours.”
As of January 11, more than 57 million poultry across the U.S. have been infected with HPAI.
Story via Jess Thomson with Newsweek
