A new, highly pathogenic form of avian flu has been sweeping through wild bird populations across the Northern hemisphere. The unprecedented levels of mortality seen in some species of seabirds have left conservationists extremely concerned about the disease’s long-term impacts.
As we emerge from the most devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, another pandemic has been wreaking havoc on wild bird populations throughout the northern hemisphere. A new, deadly and highly pathogenic form of avian influenza (bird flu) is rapidly circulating across a wide range of species, devastating populations and leaving conservationists significantly concerned about its long-term ramifications. Over 400,000 dead wild birds have been recorded over the last year – a vast underestimate given only a fraction of birds are tested – from over 2,600 outbreaks in non-poultry birds, over twice the amount as the previous large waves of avian influenza in 2016-2017 and 2021.
