Bird flu has been detected in bald eagles, Georgia Department of Natural Resources says

Bald eagles in Georgia have been affected by the latest strain of bird flu, officials say.

Influenza or bird flu can infect wild and domestic birds, as well as other animals.

The disease has been detected in wild birds in more than 30 states this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports.

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Those cases list 11 wild birds in Georgia, including lesser scaup, gadwall, American wigeon and now bald eagle.

The risk of bird flu being transmitted to people is low. To date, no human infections from the current virus (H5N1) have been documented in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

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Officials say a third of the eagle nests in Georgia are in the coastal counties. Influenza is typically carried by waterfowl and shorebirds. Eagles could have contracted the virus by preying or scavenging on dead or sick waterbirds (ducks often gather in large rafts in coastal waters during winter).

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DNR is working with the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study and other agencies to investigate mortalities involving wild birds on the coast.

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