The Department of Natural Resources confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, was found in a merganser recovered in early February along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Milwaukee County.

"HPAI is a highly contagious virus that can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected animals, by equipment, and on the

HPAI spreads easily among birds and – while rare – can spread from birds to people. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk to people from HPAI viruses to be low.