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).

NOAA Fisheries, working with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and local partners, are investigating environmental conditions, common factors contributing to past stranding events, and any potential human impacts. Outbreaks of diseases in seals occur in nature periodically, and tend to last for several months to several years. However, the current rate of strandings is approximately three times the normal rate for this time of the year in this area.

Read more...