Indiscriminate scavenging puts black vultures at risk of bird flu

 

Headline:  UGA Today,, 3/2/2026

Leigh Hathaway reports:

More than four out of every five dead black vultures examined by University of Georgia researchers tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to a new study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports. 

The actual toll of the virus on the integral species is likely exponentially higher, though, the researchers warned. 

These birds may “represent tens or hundreds of thousands of black vultures,” said Dr. Nicole Nemeth, lead author of the study and head of UGA’s Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study’s research and diagnostic service. Nemeth is also an associate professor in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Black vultures’ indiscriminate scavenging appears to sustain transmission of the virus beyond the typical bird flu season, the study found.  [emphasis added]

 

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