Wild Bird Feeding Industry(www.wbfi.org)

Avian Flu Information

Hunter Safety (www.dnr.state.md.us/wildife/AV_Hunters.asp)

Viruses like H5N1 a re shed from birds in fluid discharges and fecal material. Most viruses do not persist very long after they have left their host and can be neutralized with heat, drying and disinfectants.

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has NOT been found in North America.

Hunters should take some common sense hygiene precautions while hunting and cleaning harvested game birds.

The following suggestions are common sense precautions that hunters should follow when hunting:

  1. Do not handle birds that are obviously sick or birds found dead.
  2. Keep your game birds cool, clean and dry.
  3. Do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning your birds.
  4. Use rubber gloves when cleaning game.
  5. Wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol wipes after dressing birds.
  6. Clean all tools and surfaces immediately afterward; use hot soapy water, then disinfect with a 10% chlorine bleach solution.
  7. Cook game meat thoroughly (165 degrees F - well done) to kill disease organisms.
  8. Dispose of gloves and other waste properly.

 

 

 

 

  • Consumers who enjoy watching and feeding backyard birds are not in danger of contracting the Avian Flu, according to David Bonter of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
  • The wild birds most likely to harbor or spread avian influenza are ducks and other waterfowl. There is a distinction between wild waterfowl and the wild birds at our feeders.
  • Keep feeding areas and feeders clean, follwoing the recommendations of the "6 Steps
    " program created by birding associations at http://www.backyardbirdcare.org.
  • Scrub birdbaths with a brush and replace water every three to five days to discourage mosquito reproduction.
  • Humingbird feeders should be cleaned every three to five days, or every other day in warm weather.
  • Good Hygiene practices involve washing your hands after cleaning and filling feeders.