Avian Influenza Hawaii: Sick UH Mānoa Duck Tests Positive for Bird Flu Strain

Presumed Bird Flu Case at UH Mānoa Raises Statewide Caution

State officials are urging Hawaii residents to remain alert following the discovery of a presumed case of Avian influenza in Hawaii involving a sick duck at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.

The Hawaii Department of Health reported that a student found the injured duck earlier this week on campus. Laboratory tests confirmed the bird carried the H5 subtype of the influenza A virus. Additional analysis by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Iowa is expected within the next two weeks to confirm whether the virus is H5N1, the strain responsible for recent global avian flu outbreaks.

Health officials emphasized that the risk to humans remains very low.
“Human infections are still rare and are primarily linked to direct contact with infected animals,” the department said in a statement.

Avian Influenza Hawaii: Global Concern, Local Watch

While avian influenza continues to spread rapidly worldwide—affecting wild birds, poultry farms, and even dairy cattle herds across 18 U.S. states including California—Hawaii has seen only limited transmission so far and no human cases.
Last November, Susie’s Duck Sanctuary in Wahiawā confirmed the state’s first outbreak of avian influenza. According to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, at least ten birds, including ducks, geese, and a wild zebra dove, died as a result. Nearly 70 waterfowl, including several ducks adopted by a Pearl Harbor family, were humanely euthanized to contain the virus.

A separate bird flu case in UH Mānoa last year involved a wild duck at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tested and released the bird during a genetics study, and results later came back negative for disease.

Since then, Hawaii has reported no new detections of H5N1 in Hawaii. However, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Health, and the Department of Agriculture continue to monitor wild bird populations, poultry farms, and animal health records for any signs of a new avian flu outbreak in Hawaii.

Wildlife Center Involvement and Public Advisory

The injured UH Mānoa duck was taken to the Hawaii Wildlife Center, a nonprofit that rehabilitates wild and native birds. The organization frequently handles seabirds that become disoriented by city lights during the annual “fallout season,” which runs from mid-September through mid-December.

“This latest case is a reminder that wild birds can carry diseases to the islands,” officials said. “The public should remain cautious as Hawaii enters migratory bird season.”

Authorities advise anyone who encounters sick or dead birds to avoid handling them—especially shorebirds and waterfowl—and to report sightings to state wildlife or health departments.

Key Takeaway

Although the bird flu case at UH Mānoa is not yet confirmed as H5N1, health officials stress vigilance rather than alarm. Continued monitoring, responsible reporting, and public awareness remain essential to preventing the spread of avian influenza in Hawaii.

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