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Agencies to test more mammals for spread of avian influenza

By Lauren Maxwell

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/06/29/agencies-test-more-mammals-spread-avian-influenza/

Published: Jun. 28, 2023 at 5:01 PM PDT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Although it primarily affects birds, Alaska has already had several confirmed cases of the highly pathogenic strain of avian flu in mammals.

The contaminated animals include a black bear cub in Glacier Bay National Park, a brown bear cub in Kodiak and three red foxes in various parts of the state.

Department of Fish and Game Veterinarian Kimberlee Beckmen said even though the animals came from different areas, they all had something in common — they likely ate infected birds.

“We started looking at red foxes right after there was that first report of some fox kits out east that it had been detected in,” Beckmen said. “And we realized that we really should be looking at mammals that scavenge birds, and as soon as we started looking, we found it.”

Beckmen said Fish and Game plans to do a lot more testing for the virus on live animals like bears and wolves this summer while biologists are in the field.

Health officials say there has been no evidence of mammal-to-mammal transmission, but there is concern the virus could be changing — possibly becoming a threat to humans.

Mandy Keogh of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration is Alaska’s Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator.

“We have a concern for it in marine mammals — in any mammal — because they are more closely related to us,” Keogh said. “So any time you have a pathogen that goes from one species to a mammal, there’s a potential that it could carry over into humans or other mammals.”

Keogh said there have been no confirmed cases of marine mammals in Alaska with the highly pathogenic virus, but large die-offs of sea lions in South America as well as infected seals on America’s Atlantic Coast are prompting more testing here. She said it’s especially important to try and conserve Alaska’s marine mammal populations.

“Because it is an important subsistence source for various communities and Native Alaskans throughout the state,” Keogh said. “So that’s added concern that we don’t necessarily have in other parts of the country.”

Keogh said people who see dead, stranded or entangled marine mammals should call a 24-hour hotline at 877-925-7773. People who see sick or dead birds are encouraged to the Sick or Dead Bird Hotline at 866-527-3358.