ROSEVILLE, Minn. — A red-tailed hawk admitted to the Raptor Center over the weekend is the facility's first confirmed case of avian influenza since January.
In a Facebook post, the center said although the return of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was expected, "we are still disheartened to report we have confirmed our first HPAI-positive raptor since January." The adult female hawk was admitted to the Raptor Center Saturday, and despite being given treatment died overnight.
Tests later confirmed she had contracted HPAI.
"We've actually been in full response since last March," said Dr. Victoria Hall, executive director of the Raptor Center, to KARE 11. "This winter, numbers went way down of the positive raptors we saw as migratory raptors left our state. [It] didn't completely go away – we had a few cases in January – but we did have a nice long spell of no cases the last few months and sadly but not unexpectedly we did have a positive on March 25."
Monday, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported bird flu was also confirmed in a backyard flock in Le Sueur County.
The avian flu is extremely deadly for eagles, hawks, owls, vultures and falcons. In 2022, the Raptor Center treated more than 200 raptors infected with HPAI, and just one survived. Officials expect the number of positive wild birds to increase this spring and strongly encourage anyone who finds a struggling raptor to call the Raptor Center at 612-624-4745 before interacting with it. Experts can help assess the situation and guide you on how to safely take the next steps.
Avian flu is thought to spread mainly through the migration of transitory birds that drop feces while relocating. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention says bird flu infections among people are rare, but can occur when enough virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth, or is inhaled.
"It can be carried on our shoes, on our clothes, on our equipment so we're doing a lot of work here at the Raptor Center so that we don't get flu into our building," Dr. Hall said.
Between January and November of 2022, the CDC says more than 49 million birds in 46 states either died as a result of bird flu virus infection or were culled (killed) due to exposure to infected birds.
The virus hit egg farmers, sending production down 29 percent, according to the USDA. That sent egg prices soaring to 210 percent higher than the year before. The economic impact hit Minnesota hard, too, as the state is the nation's leading producer of turkeys. During last year's record outbreak, more than four million birds were killed statewide.
Despite the ongoing outbreak, the Raptor Center is open for educational tours. While tickets range from free to $8, Dr. Hall says caring for so many sick birds in the last year has also meant more expenses so donations are especially needed right now. 100 percent of the center's clinic work is funded by public donations.
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