Hordes of Dead Geese Corpses Raining on Eastern Idaho

A mysterious illness that could be avian cholera has caused 2000 snow geese migrating to Alaska fall dead during mid-flight over eastern Idaho last week.

CBS News reported that the birds were migrating from Southwest and Mexico to Alaska's north coast when they died. Given that avian cholera has struck in the region in the past, officials suspect that the birds could have died of the illness, which is known to cause convulsions during flight. Idaho Department of Fish and Game is working overtime to clear the carcasses to prevent infection to wildlife.

Avian cholera is said to be highly contagious and poses a small threat to humans. Birds may be affected midair even before they show symptoms of the disease, which do not appear immediately after infection given the bacterium's long incubation time.

Officials say that the most immediate threat is to wildlife surrounding site of the carcasses. Sighting of 20 bald eagles in the vicinity of geese carcasses was reported but it was not immediately clear if eagles have been infected.

Nearly 10,000 geese are said to pass through eastern Idaho every year in March. After last week's mass deaths were sighted, there were no more reports of bird deaths, officials said.

Yahoo News reported that the origin of bacterial infection in the geese was not known. Lab tests are awaited to confirm if the birds had indeed died from the contagious illness.