A bird flu strain that has ravaged the US in recent months is now spreading among the nation's national birds.
At least 41 bald eagles in 14 states have died after contracting the H5N1 strain of bird flu, according to the latest data from the Department of Agriculture.
Bald eagles are no longer in danger because of pesticides and hunters. Since 2009, numbers have risen thanks to decades of efforts to conserve.
More than 700 birds have been found with the virus in 31 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bald eagles can pick up dead birds from the water and carry them to other areas.
The price of eggs and poultry has gone up since the USDA detected the strain at several poultry farms. Nearly 27 million chickens and turkeys were killed in a single swoop as part of state containment efforts.
The new flavor of bird flu is dangerous for birds. According to the CDC, the most deadly forms of bird flu have mortality rates of up to 90%. More research is needed to understand how this novel strain differs from others. The H5N1 strain can cause neurological and respiratory issues in birds, and it usually kills them within two days.
Humans don't seem to be at increased risk of getting the flu from this strain, according to the CDC. There is only one documented human case so far, that of a person in England who raised birds. No one in the US has been exposed to the disease.
The experts at the Raptor Center recommend that people in states where the strain has been detected pause using bird feeders to keep birds away from each other.
This is a disease that should be taken seriously, according to a veterinary epidemiologist for the USDA. She said that the Department of Agriculture will keep a record of the flu in hopes of limiting its spread.
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