Avian flu has again been detected in wild birds around the Great Salt Lake, as well as in several of Utah’s counties, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
In a news release, the agency said that this is a continuation of an outbreak that started in the U.S. in 2022, but noted the highly pathogenic bird flu usually spreads most easily during spring and fall bird migrations.
Since 2022, 242 wild birds, a mountain lion, three red foxes and an unknown number of skunks have tested positive for avian flu in the Beehive State. The virus has been confirmed in 19 Utah counties.
The recent increase in avian flu detection marks an uptick, after a lull between March and September 2025, per the division’s veterinarian, Ginger Stout, quoted in the release.
About avian flu
Avian flu is very contagious among wild birds. It’s very easily spread among them and can quickly kill many domestic birds, including chickens, turkeys and domestic ducks, per the division. This strain of avian flu is more pathogenic, so it has killed more wild birds than earlier strains of the virus.
Among wild birds, those most vulnerable are waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and scavengers, which includes hawks, owls and vultures.
The virus is a form of avian influenza A that usually does not infect people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though an outbreak among dairy cattle did lead to some human infections, most often yielding mild symptoms like red, runny, itchy eyes. But bird flu in humans can be deadly.
CDC said when people get it, it’s usually from close unprotected exposure to infected animals. No person-to-person spread has been detected in the U.S., though it has rarely occurred elsewhere.
The virus can be spread by direct contact between birds that are sick and other animals, through contact with virus-contaminated surfaces, environments and byproducts, and also through the air by respiratory droplets or dust.
Wildlife Resources notes that while the virus is typically spread among birds through nasal and oral discharge or fecal contamination, “it can be spread to backyard poultry and domestic birds through contaminated shoes or vehicles.”
The viral illness spreads in animal populations that are susceptible through coming in contact with saliva, mucus or feces from infected birds. The rare human cases have been among those who work closely with infected animals without protective gear or careful hygiene. Touching your eyes, nose or mouth after coming in contact with infected material can cause infection.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has a guide to bird flu in humans and how to avoid it on its website.
A deadly count
Nearly 50 wild bird carcasses have tested positive for bird flu since October. Per the division’s release, the birds most impacted by the deadly illness recently include:
- Eared grebes in Box Elder, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele and Weber counties. The division estimates as many as 50,000 eared grebes have died along the south arm of the Great Salt Lake, though not all of their bodies were tested for the disease.
- California gulls in Salt Lake County, of which an estimated 250 have died near the lake.
- Canada geese in Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Iron, Sevier, Salt Lake, Summit, Utah, Washington and Weber counties
- Ducks in Box Elder and Davis counties
- Great horned owls in Box Elder, Davis, Summit and Weber counties
- Hawks in Box Elder, Davis and Weber counties
- Swans in Cache and Salt Lake counties
- Turkey vultures in Box Elder and Weber counties
“Roughly 4 million eared grebes migrate through the Great Salt Lake each year, so the birds lost to avian influenza in this recent wave should not have a significant impact on the overall population,” the division’s Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program wildlife biologist John Neill said in the release.
“Eared grebes typically use the Great Salt Lake as a rest area during their winter migrations to eat brine shrimp, fatten up and molt before they continue their southern migration. Although we occasionally see eared grebes remaining on the lake into January, the many thousands that are still here is somewhat unusual. The warmer lake temperatures are helping brine shrimp persist longer into the winter, and because they’re the primary food source for eared grebes, that’s likely why the birds are still here. Dead birds may continue to wash ashore in the coming months,” he added.
What about bird feeders?
Songbirds and wild birds don’t mingle much, so unless people have backyard chickens, domestic ducks or wild waterfowl on their property, keeping the bird feeder full is fine, per the division.
It’s important, though, to clean a bird feeder or bird bath regularly.
Report but don’t touch dead birds
“The outbreak is still ongoing, so we are still advising anyone who finds a group of five or more dead waterfowl or shorebirds — or any individual dead scavengers or raptors — to report it to the nearest DWR office. Make sure you don’t touch the birds or pick them up,” Stout said. “Report it to us, and we will come collect them for testing. We are continuing to monitor this virus in wild bird populations. This particular strain is affecting more wild birds and is more widespread than the last outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the U.S.,” which occurred in 2014-2015.
To report any symptoms of avian flu in domestic birds, contact the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.