Avian influenza has been around for centuries in many strains, but the strain making the news as bird flu is a “highly pathogenic avian influenza,” caused by the H5N1 virus. It’s being found in both wild birds and domestic fowl and, less commonly, in mammals, even humans.
Ah, the notorious Canada Goose. We see them on golf courses, at parks, on corporate office campuses, near ponds, and of course, casually crossing busy roads in suburban neighborhoods.
Several dead ducks have been found in and around Virginia to have avian influenza (AI). These birds include a Green-winged Teal in Virginia Beach, a Lesser Scaup in Kent County Maryland, and 17 ducks of several species in North Carolina.
