NORTH CAROLINA, USA — There are several strains of flu that infect humans, but a separate strain of flu – H5N1 – infects bird populations.
The virus is naturally occurring in wild bird populations, but the CDC said it can infect domestic poultry including chicken and turkeys, as well as other birds and animal species. It's very contagious, and in some cases can even be fatal for certain bird species.
Avian flu in North Carolina
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said North Carolina is one of 32 states with at least one confirmed case of avian flu in wild bird populations.
The first cases were found on Jan. 16 in Hyde County. Since then, the USDA said 143 cases of the avian flu have been identified in 11 N.C. counties.
Species impacted include brown pelican, ruddy duck, bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk, redhead duck, American green-winged teal, American wigeon, northern pintail, mallard, gadwall, northern shoveler, wood duck and snow goose.
The western-most case of avian flu in 2022 was in Davidson County. The USDA said a bald eagle was found dead on March 18 and tested positive for H5N1.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services reported nine avian flu outbreaks in commercial turkey and chicken flocks in 2022.
It said three of the outbreaks were at farms in Johnston County, and six were in Wayne County. In total, 481,565 poultry were impacted by those outbreaks. The NC Department of Agriculture said poultry in infected flocks are euthanized to prevent the further spread of the avian flu.
Can humans be infected by avian flu?
The Centers for Disease Control said although avian flu cases usually do not infect people, there are some rare cases of human infection.
The CDC said signs and symptoms of the bird flu in humans include eye redness, upper respiratory symptoms, pneumonia, fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
If you believe you've been in contact with an infected bird, a doctor can diagnose you by collecting a swab from your nose or throat.
Report suspected cases
If you find a large number of wild birds dead in one area or keep a flock of birds and notice them acting sick, the NC Dept. of Agriculture wants you to report it.
You can contact the Elkin branch of the NC Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System online, or by calling 336-526-2499.