A Northampton County red fox tested last month for the H5N1 or avian flu virus–commonly referred to as bird flu–was found to have the disease, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A USDA webpage which lists information about the disease’s spread among mammals identifies the positive sample as the fourth to come from a Pennsylvania red fox since April 1.
The other three positive test results were all recorded among the fox population in Huntingdon County, according to the information from the USDA.
The sample from the fox in Northampton County was obtained April 28 and the virus was detected in it on May 16, per the government data, which does not include more specific location data.
Other mammals in which the H5N1 virus has been detected include black bears, raccoons, mountain lions, skunks, bobcats and bottlenose dolphins. In rare instances the disease can be fatal to humans, however no U.S. deaths have been linked to the current outbreak. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data the U.S. has reported just one human case of avian flu since 2003.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred most often after unprotected contact with infected birds or surfaces contaminated with bird flu viruses. However, some infections have been identified where direct contact with infected birds or their environment was not known to have occurred.”
More information about methods of detection and symptoms of the disease in humans may be found on the CDC website.
