Oregon duck positive for bird flu; strain of virus unclear

A wild duck found last month in Morrow County has tested positive for Eurasian bird flu, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture was not able to determine whether the strain was a danger to poultry.

















The Capital Press reports (http://is.gd/IatSzh ) that Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife State Veterinarian Colin Gillin said Friday that the preliminary tests from the hunter-shot mallard collected Nov. 7 caused concern.

The duck would have been the first confirmed case of highly pathogenic bird flu in the country since July. The USDA declared the U.S. was free of bird flu on Nov. 18.

There are dozens of bird flu strains. The strains that killed millions of birds last winter and spring were H5N8, a Eurasian virus, and H5N2, a mix of Eurasian and North American strains.