Avian influenza is spreading in the UK and North America

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) continues to spread among birds in Europe and North America, with thousands of birds dying from the virus and prevention measures.

On Wednesday, the National Park Service announced the discovery of ducks infected with bird flu at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources announced Thursday that two foxes have contracted bird flu. Both foxes were tested after they were found dead in two cities in Utah.

Arizona reported its first cases of bird flu on Wednesday After it was discovered that three new tropical cormorants were infected with the H5N1 virus strain.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), More than 1,400 wild birds and nearly 40 million domestic birds have been confirmed to be infected with bird flu.

A poster warning of bird flu in the Randers region, Denmark, November 17, 2020 (Credit: VIA REUTERS)

Other disease outbreaks

According to the Canadian press, thousands of birds have died on the Magdalena Islands in Quebec due to the virus. “No one told me this was happening. It’s clear: We’re talking about thousands of dead birds,” said the mayor of the Magdalena Islands, Jonathan Lapierre.

More than two million birds have been affected by the outbreak of bird flu in the country Canada, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

In the UK, large numbers of seabirds have died from the virus in Scotland in recent weeks. Dr Paul Walton, Head of Species and Habitats at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds of Scotland, told BBC News A new form of highly variable and deadly avian influenza, Sourced from poultry, they kill our wild seabirds in droves.”

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The RSPB has asked the Scottish government to develop a response plan to the outbreak. Two people were injured With H5N1 virus in the midst of the outbreak: One in the UK and one in the US. Both experienced only mild symptoms and made a full recovery.

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