Bird flu has spread to Hawaii for the first time in history, officials say, amid growing concerns that the virus could learn to jump between humans.
Ducks and geese on a farm on the island of Oahu, home to the state capital, tested positive for H5N1 last week, and the virus was likely brought by migratory birds.
More than 70 birds, including eight ducklings and a swan, have already been culled, but authorities fear the virus may still be lurking on the island.
Residents are urged to avoid sick or dead birds and report them to state authorities immediately.
But they are also told that the risk of bird flu on the island is “low.”
The spread of H5N1 comes as it was revealed that a critically ill teenager in Canada had contracted a strain of bird flu that had mutated to better infect humans.
Researchers raised the alarm about the case, saying it was “bad news” but adding that the virus likely acquired the mutations after infecting the patient and had not spread to others.
It is not clear where the individual, who has not been named, contracted the virus, but he has been in critical condition in hospital for more than a week.
Susan Wilkinson of Hawaii owned and ran the bird sanctuary where the virus was detected. He posted a tearful video online after more than 70 of his birds, including eight ducklings, had to be put down.
Pictured above are ducklings that were rescued and rehomed by the sanctuary in early November.
Authorities have been on alert for bird flu after the virus suddenly spread to cows in 2022, which they said raised the risk it could spread to people.
To date, more than 100 million poultry have been infected, as well as 10,000 wild birds and 500 dairy herds in 15 states.
Fifty-three people in the United States have been infected, mostly farm workers who have close contact with cows or poultry.
Each patient experienced mild illness that included conjunctivitis or red eyes and some respiratory symptoms.
No Americans were sick enough to be hospitalized and there are no signs of human-to-human transmission.
Experts warn, however, that each infection risks the virus acquiring mutations that allow it to better spread among humans and start a new pandemic.
Hawaii is the 49th state to report bird flu in domestic poultry, and Louisiana is now the only one that has not yet detected the virus.
The infections were detected by the Hawaii State Laboratory Division and confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
Sanctuary founder Susan Wilkinson posted a tearful message on Instagram after all of the rescued birds had to be euthanized.
“I lost 20 of my angels, I didn’t know it was bird flu,” she said, fighting back tears, “I started panicking and thought it was poisoning.”
“More than a week later I found out it was bird flu, obviously the worst case scenario happened: they came and had to put everyone down.”
Ms Wilkinson was tested for bird flu but was not infected.
She is now being asked to stay away from birds for two weeks because the virus may still be lurking on her shoes and clothing.
Their sanctuary has been closed to bird rescue for 120 days, which officials say will help ensure the virus is gone before new birds are introduced.
Mrs Wilkinson added: “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.” If you live on Oahu or any of the islands, I need you to take this seriously.
‘This is not a government conspiracy, it is not a joke, it is so bad, it is so bad.
“Please quarantine everything, please bleach everything, be very careful, because this disease comes quickly.”
Experts say the virus was likely brought to the island by wild birds migrating from the continental United States during the winter.
Bird flu is usually transmitted through contact with the saliva, nasal secretions, and feces of infected birds. It can also be transmitted through droplets expelled when sneezing.
It is unclear how the virus spread to cows, but experts say this may have been due to contact with secretions from infected or dead birds. It may have then spread among cows through milking machines and also through respiratory droplets.
Experts say that every time the virus spreads to a mammal that isn’t a bird, the risk increases that it will acquire a mutation that allows it to better infect humans.
Duck Sanctuary Post Raises Alarm About Their Birds Mysteriously Getting Sick
Pictured above is a duck that was rescued after being found with a deformed leg. He had to be euthanized due to the bird flu outbreak.
Most human cases in the U.S. could be traced to infected cattle or poultry.
Only one has an unknown source, a patient in Missouri who tested positive despite having no known contact with wild birds or farm animals. They experienced mild illness and red eyes before recovering.
And in Canada, health officials aren’t sure how a teenager contracted bird flu.
They said the teen had not visited any farms, but had been exposed to dogs, cats and reptiles.
Scientists warned about the mutations after analyzing flu virus genes that were published online by Canadian health authorities.
Experts say the mutations probably arose after the child was infected, when the virus tried to adapt to its host.
“This is bad news,” said Dr. Scott Hensley, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, in a Bluesky post.
“We need to closely monitor this situation and increase our surveillance efforts.”