The extremely dangerous Bird Flu virus has been discovered in ducks at Washington, DC’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to the National Park Service.
It comes as a recent outbreak of the virus, often known as avian flu, has killed roughly 38 million domestic birds in farms, causing poultry farmers in 36 US states to destroy their flocks and shut down operations.
After detecting a ‘die-off’ of more than a dozen mallard ducklings by the pool near the National Mall last month, officials reported Wednesday that Washington now has its first verified instances of the infectious virus.
A die-off occurs when a large number of animals die in a short period of time.
According to park authorities, two of the animals tested positive for the virus, which is known scientifically as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and has a 50% fatality rate if transmitted to people.
Officials said Wednesday that it was unclear what killed the other ducklings, but that the illness, while extremely dangerous, is rarely transmitted to people.
In the United States, only one human instance of HPAI has been documented.
After revealing the findings Wednesday morning, Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst urged the public to remain calm, but advised DC residents to avoid touching living or dead birds.
Officials also advised individuals to avoid treading on bird droppings since they can aid in the spread of the illness through a person’s shoes.
‘We’re not looking at another situation like the one with Covid,’ Litterst said. ‘However, because humans can unknowingly aid the transfer of birds across groups, we only want to spread the message.’
Only one human instance of the currently circulating HPAI has been documented in the United States, with the virus being far more transmissible among other animals, particularly birds.
Additionally, officials advised on Wednesday that the same precautions should be followed with individuals’ home pets to prevent a possible spread.
The flu is mostly transmitted through respiratory and fecal secretions, contact with contaminated environments, and direct physical contact, especially among waterfowl such as ducks and geese.
According to the park service, the virus is very contagious among other wild birds and can be fatal to bald eagles and vultures.
Officials have reported that 80 black vultures afflicted with the influenza were discovered dead along the Susquehanna River in nearby Maryland.
Vultures frequently become infected after scavenging dead birds that have been afflicted with the virus.
This year, approximately 1,000 bird flu cases were reported in wild birds in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, including at least 54 bald eagles.
Domestic birds have also been affected by the virus, with 1.7 million in Maryland, 4 million in Pennsylvania, and 1.4 million in Delaware, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
According to officials, only 90 people in Virginia have been affected.
It comes as the virus has infected about 39 million birds in 36 states so far this year, owing to an unprecedented spread among wild birds, making it particularly difficult to contain.
Wild birds aid in the spread of the virus throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
Since October, more than 77 million birds have been killed around the world to stop the virus from spreading, which nearly usually results in serious sickness or death in hens.
400,000 non-poultry birds, such as wild birds, have also died, which is more than double the number reported during the previous large bird flu outbreaks in 2016 and 2017.
The fact that bird flu can be transferred straight from birds to humans makes it unusual.
Humans can contract bird flu by coming into close contact with diseased live birds, and individuals who work with infected hens are particularly vulnerable.
However, as summer approaches, research from the US Department of Agriculture suggests that the threat of the spread will lessen as we anticipate warmer weather.
Last month, farmers suffered their smallest monthly losses of the year.
Bird flu has generally dissipated with the onset of warm weather, as it is a viral disease that spreads best in cold temperatures.
Since the beginning of the year, three out of every four eggs-laying hens in the United States have been killed by farmers owing to HPAI infection.
Due to the losses, wholesale egg prices soared over $3 for a dozen large eggs in the week leading up to Easter, more than doubling the price seen a year before.
As of this week, the national wholesale average price was $2.75.
According to the USDA, 780,000 commercial flock birds have died of HPAI or been culled so far in May, compared to 1.49 million in February, 20.96 million in March, and 14.73 million in April.
The last time bird flu was detected was during the epidemic in the United States in 2014 and 2015, which was one of the deadliest animal disease outbreaks in the country’s history. It resulted in the deaths of 43 million laying hens and pullets, as well as 7.4 million turkeys.
Last month, Charlie Broaddus, the state veterinarian of Virginia, said of the issue, “The numbers are really stunning in terms of the chickens.”
Officials said citizens are still welcome to use the pool at the Lincoln Memorial, but only at their own risk.
He added at the time that one of the main factors fueling the growth is the fact that wild animals afflicted with the virus, such as ducks and geese, often do not display symptoms.
‘They’re carriers, but the genetic sequence has the potential to make domestic birds much, much sicker,’ the expert explained.
He also mentioned how egg farms that “end up in the store” are typically large-scale operations with a great potential for quick spread.
Domestic hens are frequently infected, he said, when a farmer or worker ‘inadvertently tracks through geese droppings near a pond’ and carries it into the facility.
‘It only takes one to be sick before they disseminate it to others,’ he cautioned.
Citizens are still welcome to swim in the Lincoln Memorial pool, but only at their own risk.
‘Wash your hands, change your clothes, and clean your shoes after visiting regions where wild birds congregate,’ officials advised.