Since October, almost 50 wild bird carcasses have been collected from across the state and tested positive for the bird flu.
That includes an influx in cases in Canada geese and great horned owls in Summit County.
State veterinarians saw a lull in cases between March 2025 and September 2025, but since then there’s been an increase in new cases.
The current outbreak of avian influenza was first found in the U.S. in 2022, but the disease typically spreads more during the spring and fall bird migrations.
The virus is very contagious among wild birds and can cause rapid and high mortality in domestic birds, like chickens, turkeys and domestic ducks.
Biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources estimate more than 50,000 birds have died along the south arm of the Great Salt Lake during the latest outbreak.
Since 2022, 242 wild birds, one mountain lion, some skunks and three red foxes have tested positive for avian flu in Utah. The virus has been confirmed in 19 counties in Utah since 2022.
