Three young bears euthanized after catching avian flu in Montana. How did they get it?

Young grizzly bears were euthanized after they tested positive for the bird flu in Montana, wildlife officials said.

The three bears were found near Augusta, near Dupuyer and near Kalispell — and they were the first known grizzly bears to test positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a Jan. 17 news release.

Wildlife officials said the animals were in poor condition and “exhibited disorientation and partial blindness,” so they were euthanized.

“We suspect these mammals probably get the virus from consuming infected birds,” the wildlife agency’s veterinarian Jennifer Ramsey said in the release.

The avian flu occurs naturally in birds, and it is classified into two groups, according to wildlife officials. Low pathogenic avian influenza viruses cause no “clinical illness, or only minor symptoms in birds.”

On the other end, the highly pathogenic avian flu is “extremely infectious and fatal to poultry and some species of wild birds,” the release said.

This virus was found in a fox and skunk in Montana last year. It’s also been found in raccoons, black bears and a coyote in other states and countries.

“Whenever possible, avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife,” officials said in the release.

Wildlife officials said there is a low risk of the virus spreading from animals to humans, but warned the public to take precautions when handling game birds, “sick or dead birds and mammals they find”.

“Gloves should always be worn if a dead animal must be handled for disposal,” officials said.

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