Owl at Raptor Center tests positive for bird flu

JACKSON (WNE) – The Teton Raptor Center is reporting the first known case of the deadly avian influenza in Teton County this year.

A great horned owl admitted to the Raptor Center on Nov. 24 from Freedom, Wyoming, tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, otherwise known as “bird flu” or avian influenza.

The owl died within 24 hours after being brought into the center, said Amy McCarthy, the Raptor Center’s executive director.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed the positive case on Wednesday.

Infected birds spread the bird flu virus through their saliva, mucus and feces. There is no cure for birds.

The virus can spread to humans, causing typical flu symptoms, but is rarely fatal to them.

This recent case at the Raptor Center is the first positive test in the state within the past 30 days. The last positive case was found in an unidentified owl in Converse County in September.

Since 2022, there have been 169 positive cases of HPAI in wild birds in Wyoming, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and 11 wild birds have tested positive for HPAI in Teton County. Two mountain lions, one of which was located in Grand Teton National Park, also tested positive for it, and in July, the Wyoming Livestock Board confirmed its first case of HPAI in a dairy cattle herd.

There have been 58 confirmed human HPAI cases in the U.S. so far in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. None of those cases were in Wyoming.

This story was published on December 5, 2024 .