Wildlife

Disease kills hundreds of seabirds on remote Alaska island

A disease has killed hundreds of seabirds on an island in the Bering Sea — the first documented outbreak in the state.

Avian cholera is to blame for the birds found dead on the beaches of St. Lawrence Island, 200 miles from the mainland, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The disease is common elsewhere, including in California, Nevada and Texas.

Most of the birds turned up on a 10-mile beach frequented by seal hunters. One hunter in Gambell spotted a bird on the beach with its head flopping backward before it dropped dead.

Early reports put the number of dead birds at 200 to 300 bird per square kilometre.