Avian Influenza Confirmed in Summit County Wild Birds as Statewide Cases Rise

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected again in wild birds, including specimens collected in Summit County, and said cases have risen after a lull earlier last year. DWR Veterinarian Ginger Stout said, “We saw a lull in new avian flu cases in wild birds from March 2025 to September 2025, but in the last few months, we have seen another uptick in new cases across Utah.”

Since October, 49 wild bird carcasses collected from across Utah have tested positive for avian influenza, according to agency figures. The DWR and agency reporting note that, since 2022, a total of 242 wild birds have tested positive in Utah; the tally also includes one mountain lion, some skunks and three red foxes, and officials say the virus has been confirmed in 19 counties across the state.

Summit County has recorded an influx in cases among Canada geese and great horned owls, and agency imagery and captions identify other affected species around the Great Salt Lake including pintails among marsh ducks and a deceased eared grebe collected on the lake shore. The DWR site also features photos from Salt Creek Wildlife Management Area showing swans, underscoring that waterfowl habitats used by hunters and birdwatchers in the Wasatch Back are among the places where the virus has been found.

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, an agency estimate that reflects high mortality among congregating waterbirds. The DWR and local reporting emphasize that this strain is unusually pathogenic for wild birds and that highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are very contagious among wild birds.

State materials note the virus has been present in the United States since 2022 and that its spread often intensifies during spring and fall bird migrations; the agency also warns the virus can cause rapid and high mortality in domestic birds such as chickens, turkeys and domestic ducks. Utah’s waterfowl season begins Oct. 1, a calendar point officials have referenced in public information about the seasonal risk pattern.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and DWR biologists continue to monitor and test wild-bird carcasses statewide as officials track the outbreak that began in April 2022 and has produced multiple waves of infections. Local hunters, poultry owners and visitors to Great Salt Lake shorelines are being alerted by state wildlife officials as testing and surveillance proceed.