First case of bird flu confirmed in Lehigh Valley mammal.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in a mammal in the Lehigh Valley for the first time, with the H5N1 strain of the bird flu being found in a red fox collected in Northampton County. Of the 191 detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in mammals, 42% have been in red foxes. The bird flu has also been found in other mammal species. The red fox that tested positive was an orphaned kit that was admitted to a local wildlife rehabilitation center after it was found alongside dead littermates. Federal agriculture officials recommend not touching or collecting sick or dead animals.