Great horned owl tests positive for bird flu in Cary. What to know
A great horned owl found dead in Cary tested positive for bird flu after a resident reported seeing multiple bird carcasses by their pond.
The owl was collected by a state biologist on Feb. 11, and the test result came back Tuesday.
It’s the first case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza in a wild animal in Wake County since 2023.
“Because these deaths occurred over a few days before we were contacted by the landowner we were only able to find and test the Great Horned Owl,” Miranda Turner, a wildlife health biologist for the state, wrote in an email.
“The species and number of the other birds can’t be pinned down exactly because the carcasses were gone by the time our biologist made the site visit,” she wrote, explaining the other birds were likely carried off by scavengers.
The test result is technically a preliminary positive. The state sends the carcass to the University of Georgia’s Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study and, if it tests positive, it goes to a national laboratory for confirmation, which can take weeks.
Last confirmed bird flu case in NC
The last confirmed case of this strain of bird flu in a wild bird in Wake County was in July 2023.
There were 10 confirmed cases in Wake County in 2022 and 2023 including several vultures, a red-shouldered hawk and bald eagle, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
There have been 339 cases reported in North Carolina since Jan. 1, 2022.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 69 cases of bird flu in humans, but none in North Carolina and no known person-to-person spread of the disease. One person reportedly died in Louisiana.
There are many reasons why a bird may be found dead, but the state wants people to report any incidents of multiple dead or sick birds, said Chris Turner, game birds and wildlife health supervisor for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
“We generally seek out reports of five or more birds within a short period at one time or over a week period,” he said. “That’s kind of what triggers some of the testing.”
People can call the state’s wildlife helpline, available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 1-866-318-2401
If a person has to dispose of a dead bird, they should wear gloves or use a shovel to place it in a trash bag.
This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 12:08 PM.
