The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States and a symbol of the United States. They were once endangered due to pesticide contamination in the 60s, and at the very least, only about 1,000 remained. After years of conservation and restoration, bald eagles gradually increased their population and were removed from the endangered species list in 2007. In recent years, however, they have faced a new threat: a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, H5N1.
H5N1 is a virus capable of infecting wild and domestic birds and other animals, causing severe damage to organs such as the respiratory tract, digestive tract, nervous system, etc., and leading to high mortality. Since 1996, H5N1 has caused the deaths of millions of poultry and thousands of wild birds worldwide, with a small number of human infections and deaths.
According to a recent study published by the University of Georgia, multiple pairs of bald eagles have been found to have died from H5N1 infection in the southeastern coastal areas of the United States between January 2022 and February 2023. In some of the nests equipped with cameras, an adult sea eagle is found dead, and soon both its partner and hatched baby will die.
This is because bald eagles are lifelong companion birds, and if one of them dies, the other tends to give up nesting or hatching its young. This condition affects the reproductive success rate of bald eagles, resulting in a continuous decline in their overall population. Only half of bald eagle nests in coastal Georgia in 2022 will hatch baby eagles, 30 percent below the season average, compared with 45.5 percent in Brevard County, Florida.
It's unclear how H5N1 spreads to bald eagles, but because bald eagles are carnivores and are higher in the food chain, scientists speculate that they may have been infected by preying on animals infected with H5N1. In addition, bald eagles have a strong migratory ability and may be infected by contact with other birds during migration.
Not only are bald eagles threatened by bird flu, but other wild birds, animals and poultry in the United States are also increasingly affected. Since the first detection of the H5N1 virus in the United States last January, there have been 4,672 reports of infection in wild birds, and the bird flu virus has been found in at least 146 bird species, in every U.S. state except Hawaii, and has spread to 17 other wildlife species in 22 states, including red foxes, spotted seals and striped skunks. An additional 777 outbreaks occurred on poultry farms, infecting 58 million poultry.
But scientists believe these figures may be grossly underestimated, because we have no way to vaccinate wild birds to stop the spread of bird flu in wild birds, and it is likely that we will see only a very small number of dead animals.
To protect bald eagles from the threat of H5N1 and prevent the virus from causing more harm to humans and other animals, scientists recommend the following:
strengthening monitoring and investigation of bald eagles, their habitats, food sources, etc.;
autopsy and laboratory testing of bald eagles found to be dead or behaving abnormally;
isolation and disinfection of areas where H5N1 infection or signs of outbreak are found;
raising public knowledge and awareness of avian influenza prevention and control;
Avoid contact with dead or sick birds or other animals, and wear protective equipment such as masks and gloves if contact is unavoidable;
If you have symptoms such as fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and report the situation promptly.
At present, H5N1 avian influenza may have become a serious ecological problem in the United States, and may lead to a significant decline in the number of wild birds in the United States, and even endanger human health.