A young male cougar in Clallam County, Washington, was discovered weak and emaciated, ultimately euthanized due to severe illness. Tests revealed H5N1 avian influenza, a strain known to cause large-scale wildlife mortality. Following its North American introduction in 2021, the virus has decimated domestic bird populations and has been detected in various mammals. The situation reflects a significant public health concern, as H5N1 poses a risk not only to avian species but also to mammals, leading to alarming increases in mortality rates across wildlife populations globally.
The cat was on its last legs. He literally couldn't even get out from this pasture.
Since then, the virus has caused the deaths of tens of millions of domestic chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys in the U.S. contributing to rising egg prices.
Mild forms of bird flu are common in wild and domestic birds, but sometimes a strain circulating on poultry or waterfowl farms mutates into a more dangerous form.
Globally, H5N1 has killed thousands of mammals in mass mortality events, including sea lions in Peru and Chile and elephant seals in Argentina.
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