Avian Flu Isn’t Just For the Birds
As the latest strain of avian influenza—Gs/GD HPAI, it’s called—spreads through the U.S., birds are not the only creatures the virus has felled.
As of December 2022, the virus has been detected in a confirmed total of 53 red foxes in eight states. Other mammals have tested positive as well, including scavenger species, such as skunks and raccoons, that have likely fed on potentially infected dead birds. So far, 10 species of land mammals have tested positive for the virus in the U.S.