Alarm as killer flu spreads

Bird flu is killing an alarming number of bald eagles and other wild birds, with many sick birds arriving at rehabilitation centres. The latest outbreak of the highly contagious virus has led to the culling of about 37 million chickens and turkeys on US farms. The latest reported toll is nearly 10 times higher than the 99 confirmed cases inwild birds during the previous bird flu outbreak in 2015. Water fowl, which typically carry the virus, and raptors and scavengers that feed on them are the most commonly sickened. Ducks and geese are usually able to live with the virus without getting sick, but the latest variant is proving bothmore contagious and deadly.