Bird flu reaches popular US tourist destination as first case found in…

A new case of “H5N1” was detected in a hen on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The virus was confirmed in a Northern pintail duck, found along the Wailea shoreline.

State authorities added that the samples have been despatched to a lab in Wisconsin, where they examined constructive for the Avian Flu.

H5N1 is a extremely infectious and deadly disease that mainly impacts birds but can also be transmitted to people.

This marks the first confirmed detection of the virus in the popular U.S. tourist attraction of Maui.

The first case of hen flu was detected in Hawaii in November 2024 on Oahu, and the most latest case was detected on the UH Manoa campus in October 2025.

Risk of infection to people and poultry stays low, officers said.

The United States Geological Survey examined 77 birds for the virus, all of which have been damaging besides for the Maui duck.

Officials have suggested the public to stay vigilant, warning that migratory birds could carry illnesses to the islands.

This comes as the Marine Mammal Center has begun testing a vaccine for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza on elephant seals at its Sausalito hospital in California.

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If the vaccine successfully produces antibodies, the middle plans to vaccinate Hawaiian monk seals.

The middle’s Ke Kai Ola monk seal hospital is on the island of Hawaii.

Hawaiian monk seals are endangered, as only 1,600 of the species stay. They are “one of the rarest seal species in the world, and conservation efforts are critical to their survival,” according to The Marine Mammal Center web site.

The HPAI disease, triggered by the H5N1, isn’t only extremely contagious but also lethal to a number of species and has contaminated wild birds, domesticated birds, and even mammals.