A highly contagious and deadly strain of avian flu spreading among farms and wild birds in the United States has been claiming the lives of bald eagles.

Three bald eagles found dead in Georgia tested positive for the new influenza strain, H5N1, the states department of natural resources announced this week . The statement also noted that a survey of bald eagles near Georgias coast found more failed nests than expected, some containing dead eaglets. It wasnt immediately clear if nest failures were due to avian flu.

Over the past month, H5N1 has also killed eagles in Maine, Ohio, South Dakota and Vermont, NPR reported . Wildlife rehabilitation center Back to the Wild said earlier in April that a dozen deathly ill eagles had been brought in, typically too sick to fly and unsteady on their feet.

All of them died within hours of admission, Back to the Wild assistant director Heather Tuttle told local news station WTVG . One actually died within minutes of admission. When it comes to avian influenza weve not had an outbreak like this in our area.