Seafaring birds and waterfowl are most at risk of contracting and spreading avian flu. Russell Woolstenhulme, a wildlife biologist, said that poultry are highly susceptible to catching the disease and giving it to each other.
“If you get a positive, even in just one bird, it’s a requirement to euthanize all the birds,” he said.
The current highly pathogenic avian influenza is deadly to domestic fowl, with symptoms appearing rapidly. Symptoms include coughing, runny nose and eyes, lethargy and lack of coordination, decrease in egg production, and even sudden death.
In chickens, the disease has a mortality rate of almost 100%. And because of this, the USDA requires a flock to be euthanized when any bird tests positive.
Often, wild waterfowl like geese are silent carriers, and can affect each other when they congregate. Woolstenhulme said that ducks and geese tend to nest in large congregations in the summer months, and when they migrate south, the sick birds who survive the journey expose it to new goslings.
“When we hit the fall and there's a large migration is what causes spikes in occurrences," he said.
Avian flu can also spread to livestock and predatory mammals. Animals like sea lions and seals who feed on geese and ducks can contract the disease. However, transfer between mammals is rare.
Humans can contract HPAI if they have come in contact with an infected bird.
Daniel Vezmar, a public information official for the Nevada Department of Human Services, says that infections in people are rare, but if it does start to spread, the virus can mutate and become more deadly.
“Whenever the virus spreads to people, it has a chance to evolve in a way that can make it more infectious to people and/or more severe for people. But there are steps the public can take to prevent infection,” he said.
Vezmar said that there is currently not a recommended vaccine for the public.
This strain of the virus is only four years old, and Woolstenhulme said this may bode well for birds.
“All viruses mutate over time and animals start to become more resistant to it. So there’s less concern now than there was two years ago when it spread across the United States very rapidly," he said.
However, if the virus continues to spread, it can affect products in our local grocery stores.
“Everyone kind of remembers a couple of years ago when egg prices were six or seven a dozen. That's because this high path avian influenza got into egg production facilities. So there were literally millions and millions of poultry being euthanized,” Woolstenhulme said.
It can also cause a decrease in wild bird populations in affected areas.
Vezmar and Woolstenhulme recommend taking precautions to prevent the spread of the illness.
Vezmar said that if you can’t avoid contact with sick/dead animals, to take precautions like using protective equipment/clothing like long sleeves, pants, closed-toe shoes, a face mask, eye protection and gloves.
Woolstenhume said to clean your shoes after visiting parks with waterfowl, never handle dead or sick birds, and if you see one, call the park or county to report it.
