Avian flu cases have been on the rise in wild bird populations in Utah since 2022. The current flu outbreak has been ongoing in the U.S. since 2022, but typically spreads more during spring and fall migration seasons.
In Utah, the virus was confirmed in 16 counties since 2022 and spread to three more recently: Box Elder, San Juan and Emery.
“We saw a lull in new avian flu cases in wild birds from January 2024 to November 2024, but since last fall, we have seen another uptick in new cases across Utah,” said DWR Veterinarian Ginger Stout.
Since November, 25 wild bird carcasses submitted for disease testing have been positive for avian influenza. The birds most impacted by this influx of flu cases are geese, hawks, gulls, owls and eared grebes. DWR biologists have confirmed that roughly 15,000 to 20,000 eared grebes have died along the Great Salt Lake, primarily due to avian influenza.
Since November, the counties currently seeing positive avian flu cases in wild birds are Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Davis, Emery, Millard, Salt Lake, San Juan, Tooele and Weber.
“The outbreak is still ongoing, so we are still advising anyone who finds a group of five or more dead waterfowl or shore birds — or any individual dead scavengers or raptors — to report it to the nearest DWR office. Make sure you don’t touch the birds or pick them up,” said Stout. “Report it to us, and we will come collect them for testing. We are continuing to monitor this virus in wild bird populations. This particular strain is affecting more wild birds and is more widespread than the last outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the U.S.”
The last outbreak occurred in 2014–15 when highly pathogenic strains were detected in wild birds of the Pacific, Central and Mississippi flyways. Only two healthy ducks were confirmed to have contracted the disease in the outbreak.
For more information about the current avian flu outbreak in wild birds, visit the DWR website. To report any symptoms in domestic birds, contact the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
Author: Maddi Munro
Photographer: Anna Mower
Editor: Chevy Blackburn
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