COLUMN: What to know about Willamette Valley wild turkeys and bird flu

Can wild turkeys get avian flu?

Yes. So can chickens, peafowl, ducks, geese, hawks, even cats, dairy cows, and people.

Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota have found significant infection among wild turkey flocks. There’s been one known outbreak among wild turkeys in Oregon. Those turkeys shared a pond with a domestic poultry flock that got infected.

Nothing about avian flu is simple, not even the tiny virus that causes it. The dangerous strain of avian…