By Beth Marlin Lichter
The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife is letting the public know that reports are coming in re dead or sick birds, mostly in Western Washington so far, but the range of this disease is expected to expand.
Please click on this link to learn more about it.
IF YOU ENCOUNTER A SICK OR DEAD BIRD: Please report it to WDFW at https://survey123.arcgis.com/…/1550804e5fd743668049e06d… and do not touch or move it. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider the risk to humans from avian influenza to be low, it can spread from wild or domestic animals to humans or pets if precautions are not taken. If you feed birds, or hunt waterfowl or upland birds:
– Wear disposable gloves when cleaning harvested birds.
– Do not harvest or handle wild birds that are obviously sick or found dead.
– Do not eat, drink, or smoke while cleaning game.
– Wash hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer immediately after handling game or cleaning bird feeders.
– Wash tools and work surfaces used to clean game birds with soap and water, then disinfect with a 10% solution of household bleach.
– Clean bird feeders and bird baths the same way often.
– Cook game birds thoroughly to an internal temperature of 155 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill disease organisms and parasites. Freezing does not kill the HPAI virus.
– Do not allow pets to scavenge on dead or sick wildlife.