**Hawaii Reports First Bird Flu Cases, Sanctuary Founder Heartbroken**

Hawaii has become the 49th state to detect bird flu in domestic poultry, leaving Louisiana as the last state untouched by the virus. Health officials confirmed the outbreak after the Hawaii State Laboratories Division detected infections, which were later verified by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.

Susan Wilkinson, founder of a bird sanctuary on Oahu, had to make the heartbreaking decision to euthanize all her rescue birds after they tested positive for bird flu. In an emotional Instagram post, Wilkinson shared her devastation. "I lost 20 of my angels. I didn't know it was bird flu," she said, tearfully recounting how she initially suspected poisoning. "They came and had to euthanize everybody."

Wilkinson has tested negative for bird flu but has been advised to avoid contact with birds for two weeks to prevent potential transmission from lingering viruses on her clothing or shoes. Her sanctuary will remain closed to rescue birds for 120 days to ensure the virus has fully dissipated before introducing any new birds.

Emphasizing the severity of the situation, Wilkinson pleaded with residents of Oahu and other Hawaiian islands to take precautionary measures seriously. "This is not a government conspiracy, it is not a joke, it is so bad," she urged. "Please quarantine everything, please bleach down everything, be so extra cautious because this disease comes quick and fast."

Experts speculate that the virus was likely brought to Hawaii by wild birds migrating from the US mainland. Bird flu typically spreads through contact with saliva, nasal secretions, and feces from infected birds, and may also be transmitted via respiratory droplets.

While no Americans have required hospitalization due to the virus, experts warn that each infection carries the risk of the virus mutating to spread more easily between humans, potentially igniting a new pandemic. Cases in the US have mostly been traced back to infected poultry or cattle, except for one case in Missouri with an unknown origin.

In Canada, health officials remain baffled by a teenager who contracted bird flu despite not visiting any farms. This case has raised alarms after genomic analysis suggested the virus had acquired mutations in an effort to adapt to its human host. Dr. Scott Hensley, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, has called for increased surveillance to monitor the situation closely. "This is bad news," he noted, highlighting the urgency for global vigilance.