MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirms H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu, in a wild merganser collected from Milwaukee County last week.
The DNR received less than 50 reports of sick or dead waterfowl, mostly mergansers, along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties. Since mid-December, the H5 HPAI virus has been detected in Dane, St. Croix, Wood, Brown, Racine, and Milwaukee counties, with most of the death reports for swans and Canada geese.
“It is important to remember that avian influenza is still present in Wisconsin, and we are seeing it affect birds in isolated areas around the state,” said Jasmine Batten, DNR Wildlife Health Supervisor. “However, this winter’s HPAI detections in wild birds have remained relatively low. The best advice we can give is to remain aware and avoid handling wild birds as much as possible.”
Public health officials say the risk to the general public from avian influenza remains low, and no human cases has been reported in Wisconsin. The DNR has more information about avian influenza and recommendations for reporting sick or dead wild birds on their Avian Influenza webpage.
