STATE — A wild duck harvested by a hunter in Colleton County has become the first wild bird since 2016 to be found infected in the United States with the Eurasian H5 type of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), officials announced this month.

The bird, an American wigeon, was tested by the Clemson University Veterinary Diagnostic Center in Columbia, and the diagnosis was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS).

This type of HPAI virus is considered a low risk to people, but it can be a danger to the poultry

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