TACOMA — Wild birds infected with avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, have been detected near the Port of Tacoma and elsewhere in Washington amid an outbreak of the disease that began in early July, leading state health and wildlife officials to urge the public to avoid contact.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has removed more than 1,700 dead Caspian terns and gulls from the currently closed Rat Island and adjacent shores near Fort Flagler State Park, west of Whidbey Island and Everett. Three harbor seals from the vicinity were also infected with the disease, according to preliminary test results cited by the Washington State Department of Health.
Infected Caspian terns — a larger bird than many gulls, according to the Audubon Society — have been recently documented near the ports of Tacoma and Everett and along the lower Columbia River, the state health department said in a statement.
Although bird flu infections in people are rare, they’re not unprecedented and the virus can be transmitted if it enters a person’s eyes, nose or mouth, according to the health department, with individuals at greater risk during close or sustained contact with infected animals or contaminated surfaces. Dogs and other animals can also become sick with the virus.
