Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline has become the center of a concerning bird flu outbreak, with hundreds of red-breasted mergansers found dead or sick. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, officials suspect the highly contagious virus is responsible for the widespread illness affecting the diving ducks, which winter in the Great Lakes region.
The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors have been inundated with reports over the past several days, with "large numbers" of affected mergansers appearing from Hyde Park to Wilmette. Annette Prince, the group's director, estimated that 200 to 300 sick birds had been reported, highlighting this as the first instance when such a large number of mergansers has been suspected of bird flu infections. Furthermore, the situation has led to the euthanization of a bald eagle in Hinsdale and the loss of nearly 3,000 hens at a family-run farm in Matteson, due to the disease.
Similarly, the Chicago Tribune reported a scene described by a local resident as "like a horror show" with about 20 dead birds found at Oak Street Beach. Prince told the publication that seeing the mergansers on land is a "clear sign of distress" and that dead birds washing ashore in such numbers is alarming.
The bird flu's symptoms include weakness, inability to stand or move, tremors, and respiratory and neurological problems – a dire situation for the avian population. Concerns extend to pets, as the virus has shown to be transmissible to cats and dogs, and experts are urging caution among pet owners. For those encountering sick birds, Prince recommended contacting the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, and, in the case of larger die-offs, reporting to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Illinois has been facing this bird flu outbreak since at least 2022, with over 11,000 wild birds across the country infected according to CDC data. The highly pathogenic avian flu has also wreaked havoc on poultry, with nearly 150 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds affected nationally. This has had substantial economic impacts, notably doubling U.S. egg prices since the summer of 2023.
This ongoing epidemic poses a threat to wildlife beyond the mergansers, with concerns that other species might soon be impacted. Notably, a flamingo and a harbor seal at the Lincoln Park Zoo succumbed to the bird flu. As the cold weather seems to favor the virus's survival, the region braces itself for the possibility of a prolonged battle against this avian adversary.
