Watch CBS News

State Officials Confirm Michigan's First Cases Of Bird Flu In Sterling Heights

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Three goslings in the Detroit area have tested positive for bird flu and are the first confirmed cases of H5N2 avian influenza in the state.

The free-ranging Canada Geese goslings were collected last week in Macomb County's Sterling Heights, near Lakeside Mall.

According to officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, avian influenza (bird flu) viruses are highly contagious and can affect free-ranging and domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys and quail. Infected birds may show difficulty walking, lack of appetite and a drop in egg production.

The virus has been found in 20 other states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Midwest chicken and turkey producers have lost nearly 47 million birds on over 200 farms since the region's first case of H5N2 avian influenza was confirmed on a Minnesota turkey farm in early March.

Dr. Eden Wells, Chief Medical Executive of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, told WWJ Newsradio 950 that — while the risk to humans is considered low — there are some things to look out for.

"If you have contact with an infected bird, you need to be monitoring your own health for possible symptoms," said Wells, "such as conjunctivitis — which is an inflammation of the eye — or flu: developing a cough or a sore throat or fever."

"As a general precaution, people should avoid wild birds and observe them only from a distance," she said. "Avoid contact with infected birds that have become ill or have died, and avoid contact with sick wild birds that have appeared ill (or) have died."

The Sterling Heights goslings exhibited seizures and head tremors, said Steve Schmitt, a wildlife veterinarian with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. They were found by residents near the popular shopping mall and taken to a local veterinarian.

The state is now focused on preventing the disease's spread in wildlife and its transmission to domestic poultry, DNR director Keith Creagh said.

The state will monitor birds in a 10-mile radius around the area where the confirmed cases were found and create a management zone that will include Macomb and Oakland counties.

State officials last week banned poultry and waterfowl shows at fairs and elsewhere to fight the spread of bird flu and are asking that Michigan residents to stay alert and contact the state about any possible cases.

[Get more information from the state about bird flu, HERE].

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.