Thousands of ducks dying in Idaho, bird flu?

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - Officials scrambled on Wednesday to determine what has caused the deaths of thousands of mallard ducks in south-central Idaho near the Utah border.

Although wildlife experts are downplaying any links to bird flu, they have sent samples to government labs to test for the deadly H5N1 flu strain, among other pathogens.

Officials with the federal Bureau of Homeland Security have been also called in to help with the probe.

"We think the possibility of avian flu