TikTok-famous emu Emmanuel has contracted the avian flu - CNN

CNN  — 

Emmanuel, the emu who won viral fame connected TikTok for his attention-grabbing behavior, is successful dire information aft contracting the avian influenza, according to his owner.

CNN antecedently reported connected the emu, who roseate to fame aft his owner, Taylor Blake, began posting videos documenting beingness connected her tiny farm, Knuckle Bump Farms, successful southbound Florida. Emmanuel repeatedly interrupted Blake’s videos of different animals to peck astatine the camera and garnered millions of views successful the process.

Blake posted a lengthy Twitter thread Saturday, successful which she described the “massive tragedy” caused by an avian flu outbreak astatine her farm.

Wild geese flying onto the workplace transmitted the virus, she said. More than 50 of her birds, including 3 emus, died implicit the people of 3 days.

Then, connected Wednesday, Emmanuel besides contracted the illness, she wrote.

“Currently, helium is stable. His neurological symptoms person subsided but helium inactive won’t devour oregon portion connected his own,” she wrote. “I americium manus feeding him & giving him subcutaneous fluids each 2hrs astir the clock.

“He is simply a combatant and I wholeheartedly judge helium is going to marque a afloat recovery.”

The emu is suffering from nervus harm successful his close limb and foot, Blake said. Blake posted snapshots of the sling she and her woman engineered to assistance him regain relation successful the leg.

Emmanuel and a swan named Rico, are present the lone birds near connected the farm, Blake wrote. The installation is besides location to cows, deer, and pigs, among different animals.

“I’ve taken clip to process and grieve arsenic overmuch arsenic possible, portion besides dedicating each of my clip to the animals and their well-being,” she wrote. “It’s hard to grieve erstwhile truthful galore lives beryllium connected you.”

A highly contagious strain of avian influenza has been confirmed successful chaotic birds successful 32 counties successful Florida since January 2022, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Almost 50 cardinal poultry person been affected by the illness arsenic of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.