- Introduction
to Avian Influenza
- Avian Influenza,
Bird flu, and Pandemic flu
- Advice to Flock
Owners and the Public
- Avian Influenza
Resources
National
Public Radio Program. (Audio
Player needed.) 5/5/06 - A poultry specialist from
UC Davis was interviewed about the backyard bird industry
and bio security measures for small home flocks. 4-H was
mentioned several times.
USDA
Portal: Avian Influenza:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?navid=AVIAN_INFLUENZA
US
Department of Health - Pandemic Page:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/
US
Fish & Wildlife
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/AvianFlu/WBAvianFlu.htm
WA
State Health Department - Pandemic Flu Page:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/panflu/
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How
Do I Report Disease?
Domestic
Birds
Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has set
up a surveillance program within our state to attempt to detect
this virus should it reach the domestic
poultry within Washington. Emergency response
planning has been ongoing to help stop an outbreak before
a small situation becomes a large one.
Dr. Leonard
Eldridge, WA State Veterinarian, encourages bird owners to
practice good bio security. Birds should be monitored for
illness such as sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, diarrhea,
listlessness and sudden death. Submit birds to a diagnostic
laboratory whenever unusual
disease occurs.
To
report domestic poultry disease, contact:
- the
State Veterinarian's office at 360-902-1878
- the
U.S. Department of Agriculture at 360-753-9430
- your
private veterinarian
If AI or other serious avian disease is suspected, a specially
trained state or federal veterinarian will be dispatched
to assist you with testing at no charge. To report disease
after regular business hours, call the state Emergency Operations
Center at 1-800-258-5990. The Staff Duty Officer will take
your call and contact the State Veterinarian for you.
For details
on submitting sick, dying or dead birds; or eggs,
contact:
Dr. A. Singh Dhillon, Director, WSU's Avian
Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Puyallup
253-445-4537.
More
info from Washington State Department of Agriculture:
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/
Wild
Birds
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is collaborating
on wild bird disease surveillance and response
planning with the Washington Department of Agriculture, which
monitors the health of domestic poultry, and the Washington
Department of Health, which monitors human health. WDFW has
added an avian flu test to its routine investigations of multiple
wild bird die-offs, and has been testing small populations
of wild birds as opportunities arise in conjunction with other
planned wildlife management activities.
WA Citizens concerned
about Avian Influenza or West Nile
Virus: especially die-offs
of multiple wild birds should report
the location, date and other details of their
observation to:
Dr. Kristin
Mansfield, WDFW Veterinarian
509-998-2023 or 509-892-1001,
ext. 326
and to your local Health Department.
Birds
that have been dead less than 48 hours provide the best samples
for testing. Be prepared to share information about the bird(s)
such as the specific location it was found, including the
distance to the nearest town, road or other landmark. Also
provide your name and phone number.
It is best to leave the bird in place on the ground and report
its location. If you choose to collect the specimen, use a
shovel or wear gloves to place it in two plastic bags. Keep
the specimen in an ice chest or refrigerator that is not used
for food or place plastic bags of ice or cool packs over the
bird and cover it with a bucket. Do not handle wildlife
with bare hands.
More Information
from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/factshts/avian_flu.htm
Also related to
wild birds:
West Nile Virus Information:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/Zoo/WNV/WNV.html
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