Avain / Bird Flu in CNY

 

NY State DEC - info on their new online platform for reporting bird flu:

DEC advises the public to avoid any contact with sick or dead birds and mammals that may be infected with HPAI. People can minimize the risk of spreading HPAI by preventing contact between sick or dead wildlife and domestic animals.

In cases where DEC field staff are not responding to collect samples or carcasses from the landscape, please limit direct contact with dead wildlife and keep children and pets away. To dispose of a dead bird safely:

• Wear disposable gloves, a mask, and eye protection, like safety glasses or goggles.
• Avoid direct contact with the carcass or carcass fluids by using a shovel or a garbage bag to pick up the bird.
• Carcasses should be triple bagged (garbage or contractor bags) and placed in an outdoor trash receptacle.
• Remove and throw away your gloves. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after removing gloves.
• Change your clothes and wash them after disposing of the bird.
• If you used a shovel, clean it with hot, soapy water and disinfect it with diluted (1/3 cup bleach added to a gallon of water)
• For more information about the risk of HPAI to humans, visit the NYS Department of Health website. 

If you encounter a live, sick bird or mammal, contact your Regional DEC office or a local wildlife rehabilitator for guidance. There is no treatment for HPAI in birds, so the only option for wildlife rehabilitators is humane euthanasia. Call ahead to make sure there is a wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian willing to accept and euthanize the animal, as accepting these animals may put other animals in the facility at risk. Do NOT handle, transport or euthanize any sick birds or other wildlife yourself.

The new link for reporting observations can be found on DEC’s Animal Diseases webpage. Once a report is received, DEC’s field response is guided by the report’s details, including the number of sick or dead birds, bird species, and observations from new areas where HPAI has not yet been documented. Of particular interest are reports of suspected outbreaks in all species of waterfowl, raptors, crows, shorebirds, and other waterbirds such as gulls, loons, and herons. These species are known HPAI vectors, particularly vulnerable to the disease, when testing can help DEC track HPAI prevalence on the landscape. 

https://dec.ny.gov/nature/wildlife-health/animal-diseases