KENNEBEC JOURNAL • February 10, 2023
Hooded mergansers, a type of duck, rescued at the end of January from the mill stream in downtown Winthrop tested positive for avian influenza, the first such case in Kennebec County. Migrating wild birds carry the disease, agriculture officials say, and expose other birds when they mix with domestic birds in backyard or commercial flocks. Avian influenza is spread directly through contact wild bird droppings and indirectly through contact via feed and water sources as well as bedding that may have been exposed to droppings. Sick birds or unusual bird deaths should be reported to the state veterinarian in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.