Bird Flu Found in Hawk In Western Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota officials say a hawk in the western part of the state has tested positive for bird flu.

It's the first wild bird to test positive for the virus that has decimated big poultry operations in the Midwest this spring. Scientists have said since the epidemic began that they suspected wild birds were spreading the virus.

But the Department of Natural Resources says the discovery doesn't mean wild birds are the direct cause of infections.

The Cooper's hawk died after flying into the deck of a home in Yellow Medicine County, and was tested after the homeowner reported it. That county isn't among those that have had bird flu turn up in flocks, but nearby Lyon County is.

Minnesota has lost more than 3 million birds to the virus.