by: Karina F. Garcia
Posted: Jun 6, 2025 / 06:33 PM EDT
Updated: Jun 6, 2025 / 06:34 PM EDT
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(WAVY) – Wildlife officials are keeping a close eye on the spread of avian influenza after nearly 300 birds were found dead along the North Carolina coast earlier this year — most of them brown pelicans. The outbreak has since been linked to the H5N1 strain of bird flu, a virus that continues to mutate and occasionally jump to other species, raising concern among experts.
Miranda Turner, a wildlife health biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said the area is a prime wintering ground for birds — making it easier for disease to spread.
“When you bring a lot of animals together and you have them traveling from different locations, it’s a really good way to transmit diseases,” Turner said.
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In Hampton Roads, bird flu outbreaks aren’t new. Lisa Barlow, president of Tidewater Rehabilitation and Environmental Education, recalls treating sick and dying Canada geese during a 2021 outbreak on the Lafayette River.
“We dealt with about three to four dozen Canada geese that came in sick and dying,” Barlow said. “Only six survived the flu, and even those had to be euthanized due to severe neurological symptoms.”
Barlow described birds arriving unable to hold their heads up, their beaks caked in mud. Many died within 24 hours.
As the virus continues to affect wildlife, it’s not just birds at risk. The virus has jumped to mammals, including seals, cats and even cattle. Experts say it’s mutated at least several times since it was first identified.
“I mean, anything that can do that — it’s kind of frightening, but amazing,” Barlow said.
Despite the concerning spread, health officials emphasize the risk to humans remains low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 human cases have been reported nationwide, including one death. Most infections have been among people with repeated exposure to infected animals, such as poultry or dairy farm workers.
“There’s really low risk,” Turner said. “Still, it’s a good idea to clean bird feeders regularly and wear gloves or a mask if you handle injured wildlife.”
Barlow also urges caution for those who come across sick birds.
“If you do want to help, wear gloves, protect yourself,” she said. “Common sense goes a long way.”
Meanwhile, as migratory birds continue to interact and spread the virus, some are developing natural antibodies, according to Turner.
“They’re bouncing back and creating herd immunity,” she said.
Last week, the Associated Press reported the Trump administration canceled $766 million in funding meant to support Moderna’s development of a bird flu vaccine. The vaccine, which uses mRNA technology similar to the COVID-19 vaccine, had shown early promise in clinical trials.
For now, wildlife officials say they expect to see more outbreaks in the years ahead, especially during peak migration periods.
“Because this virus is so common in migratory birds, it is likely that we will continue to see cases here and there every winter,” Turner said.
As of right now, there have been no confirmed human cases of H5N1 in Virginia and although the risk remains low for humans, for birds it can be extremely deadly – leading to large die-off events like the ones we saw near Cape Hatteras.
“Unfortunately, this was the first kind of major large scale mortality event… while it looks really bad at that small scale of seeing 300 brown pelicans die – it’s not impacting their population as a whole or the species as a whole,” adds Turner.
Turner also explains that the surviving pelicans are still there, “The brown pelicans that did survive that event were still nesting on that island successfully and are doing well. So really, it’s a short scale kind of scary looking event, but nothing that raises alarm for biologists in the long term.”
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