Seal deaths in Maine linked to avian influenza
6 July, 2022
Since June 1, 2022, Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME) – a NOAA Fisheries authorized marine mammal stranding network partner – has responded to 40 stranded seals, most of which were found dead. On July 1, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories concluded that four samples from stranded seals in Maine have tested positive for H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The current rate of dead seal strandings in this area is approximately three times the normal rate for this time of the year.
