Bird flu in Nevada ducks could spread, officials say

State wildlife officials confirmed a potential outbreak of a highly contagious bird flu in two popular Nevada hunting areas on Tuesday.

Of the 10 ducks that tested positive for bird flu within the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge and Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area, seven have a highly pathogenic variety, meaning it is contagious and likely to cause severe illness or death. Those two areas are in central Nevada, about 80 to 100 miles north of Las Vegas.

The results are pending confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, officials said.

State regulators first found evidence of the disease in Nevada’s wild bird populations in July 2022, and the strain poses a low risk of human infection, the Nevada Department of Wildlife said.

“With waterfowl hunting season underway in