Hundreds of Canadian geese have been found dead this winter in Owatonna, Albert Lea, Waseca and other southern Minnesota cities.

ST. PAUL, MINN. – Minnesota is approving the allocation of more than $1.2 million in lottery proceeds for the research of avian influenza in wildlife. This funding will support researchers at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine as they study the growing threat posed by avian influenza.

Nancy Gibson, co-chair of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, called the virus a "time bomb," and said no one knows the true extent of the disease which poses a threat to wildlife and humans.

Health officials in Louisiana are reporting the first human death linked to bird flu in the U.S. Here in Minnesota, state lottery ticket purchases could help combat the spread of the virus. Gov. Tim Walz recently approved more than $1.