Avian flu can lead to sickness or death in wild poultry (turkey, grouse), raptors (hawks, eagles), avian scavengers (crows, gulls, ravens), and other species (ducks, geese), according to the state Department of Agriculture. Butler Eagle File Photo

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is testing birds recently found dead in Butler County for avian flu.

A county resident contacted the commission after finding at least one dead bird, and the commission collected the birds for testing, said Travis Lau, commission spokesman.

The finding and testing of those birds comes on the heels of the commission reporting that five-hooded merganser ducks found at Kahle Lake, located along the Clarion-Venango county border, tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Lau said a commission veterinarian told him about the Butler County birds Monday, but he doesn’t know when the birds were found or if they were wild or domestic birds.

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