Four red fox babies in the United States have reportedly died in what is known as the first case of the devastating H5N1 bird flu found in wild mammals in the country.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed that three sets of red foxes have died from highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Earlier, Minnesota officials said a set of foxes in their state had also died from the virus.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a virus that is known to affect birds and is highly contagious. In addition to affecting poultry, this virus strain also affects waterfowl, birds of prey and scavengers (such as turkey vultures, eagles and crows).
“Wild animals can sometimes transmit diseases to humans, and while we usually think of rabies or other well-known diseases as a primary concern, this shows that there are other risks to consider,” said Dr. Johnny Sheftel, a veterinarian. a public health physician from the Minnesota Department of Health in a statement.
“The best advice is to avoid contact with wild animals that appear sick or injured, and contact your healthcare provider if you are bitten or have other close contact with wildlife,” he added.
According to Michigan officials, fox kits in the state showed neurological signs of HPAI before his death. The kits have been observed to circle, shake and catch.
Two of the three died within hours of admission, while one appeared to respond to maintenance therapy but then died in care.
Interestingly, an additional kit, which was a brother and sister of the Macomb County kit, survived but developed blindness, which made it unreliable, officials said.
The virus was found in swabs collected from the nose, mouth, throat and brain tissue of all three kits, and a full post-mortem examination was performed to help learn more about the disease in foxes.
Last week, two sets of red foxes in Ontario, Canada also tested positive for HPAI. These kits were the first reported cases of the current HPAI epidemic in wild mammals in North America.
Although the virus mainly affects birds, it occasionally bypasses humans, especially those in close contact with poultry, and the death rate reaches 50 percent.
The World Organization for Animal Health (or OIE) said it had seen a significant increase in reports of various subtypes – including H5N1, H5N6 and H5N8 – found in more than 40 countries.
In April, a man in Colorado became the first to test positive for bird flu in the United States, but suffered only “very mild” symptoms of the infection.
Earlier this year, China reported two cases of H5N6 bird flu in people involving a 68-year-old man from Sichuan Province and a 55-year-old woman from Zhejiang Province. The Hong Kong Health Department said in a statement that the two were in “critical condition” in hospital after contracting H5N6 bird flu.
A rare case of bird flu in humans has also been found in people living in the South West of England, the United Kingdom.
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