Avian Flu
Avian flu. Bird flu. Avian influenza. Three different names – all the same illness. And what is it? In simplest terms, it is a viral infection that spreads in birds, some other animals, and can spread to humans (right now, this is extremely rare). There is not just one ‘Avian Flu’, but many subtypes. In this way, it is similar to the other flus of which we are more familiar: our Influenza A and Influenza B for which so many of us get yearly shots, and of course Covid.
How is it spread? Wild geese and ducks are carriers, and songbirds can both spread the disease and become deadly ill themselves.
When does avian flu occur? It is most prevalent, persistent, and deadly during the winter months, however, an outbreak can occur at any month of the year.
Is it just large poultry operations that are affected? No, it is not. If you have a small farm with a chicken coop or you have a few chickens at your house, you need to take all these precautions and check your chickens each day for symptoms. Always wear protective clothing – and most especially gloves – when handling poultry. This includes chickens that are your pets. If you are picking them up to give them a cuddle, wear your protective clothing and gloves. And never wear your protective clothing, shoes, or boots outside the coop area.
What are the symptoms birds at your feeders will show if infected with avian flu?
1. Reduced activity. This will be obvious enough that you will notice a certain bird seems lethargic.
2. Decreased appetite in one or maybe several birds. This will be hard to observe. But if you have a birdbath, you should be able to notice if a bird seems to be drinking more than it should. It will sit on the rim for long periods of time drinking and drinking.
3. Nasal discharge. Use your binoculars and focus on each bird at your feeders or in your yard. Look for droplets or small crusty areas around the beak and eyes.
4. Coughing.
5. Swelling around the eyelids – use your binoculars.
6. Diarrhea. This can be hard to determine in birds as they all squirt out their feces. But look on the ground under your feeders or on the feeders themseives – especially if the feeders have roofs. Look for lots of pale to white liquid without the dark centers.
7. Avian flu disorients birds. Look for a bird on your feeder that is sitting awkwardly or leaning, a bird that is staggering when on the ground underneath, or a bird taking a short flight to a nearby branch and the flight awkward – like a juvenile taking its first flight.
8. Death of more than two birds at your feeders or in your yard in one day.
What should you do if you observe any of these symptoms? First thing is to take down your feeders – clean and disinfect them, discard any seed from the feeders, and rake up everything under the feeders. (For directions on how to clean and disinfect feeders, go to this website’s menu and click on: Bird Feeders and Bird Baths.). Do not put your feeders back up for at least a week or two. This will cause the birds to disperse and hopefully stop its spread at your feeder area. The next step is to check with the department in your state that handles wildlife. Often it is called something like The Department of Natural Resources, The Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Department of Parks. Follow any recommendations or directives. Remember, most of our states are good-sized and some are huge. Cleon and I live in Illinois. Avian flu has not overwhelmed our county (as of 2/25), but the state’s northern counties are badly affected. And always remember, birds are mobile and can go anywhere at any time. There is nothing preventing birds in the suburbs of Chicago and Rockford from flying down here to mid-state. If our IL Department of Natural Resources suggests or directs all of us in this state to take down our feeders, Cleon and I will do that. Just because avian flu is not overwhelming our county today, does not mean it will not be all through here next week, next month, or in the years to come. Whatever steps any of us can do to prevent or slow down its spread, we need to do them.
Who among us would be in a position to catch avian flu? People who work with poultry, waterfowl like ducks and geese, and surprisingly – dairy cows. There are some recorded and verified cases of avian flu among people since 2024, but it is still extremely rare for a person to contract this flu – especially if you are not working with or close to poultry or wild geese and ducks. To contract avian flu, you must be in close contact with an infected bird or animal: their saliva, respiratory droplets, feces, or milk. You can also breathe it in from tiny dust particals in places like large, commercial poultry buildings and barns. You do not get avian flu from improperly cooked eggs or from drinking pasturized milk. So right now, this is not about people catching this flu. This is about our domestic poultry catching this flu and when this happens, it is deadly. Entire flocks are destroyed, poultry farmers can be ruined overnight, and our chicken and egg prices soar.
How do you protect yourself from catching or spreading avian flu?
1. If you are working with birds or livestock, wear protective clothing. Have this clothing cleaned regularly and leave it where you are working. If you are taking it home with you to wash yourself, place it in a sturdy, completely sealed plastic bag for transport and do not take it out until you are ready to put it in the washer. Wash in hot water and use bleach as directed on the bottle.
2. Wash your hands (and the protective gloves you are wearing) after handling birds, wild animals, or livestock – especially after being in or cleaning the areas in which they live. This includes farms, petting zoos and city parks where there are ducks and geese, and small chicken coops in backyards.
3. Take your shoes or boots off when you leave the area where you are working and leave them there. Do not wear them while driving your car or truck and do not wear them into your house. When you walk around or through the area where these animals live, your soles will pick up feces and soiled litter. And if you wear these shoes or boots away from where you are working, this will all drop slowly from the soles and will help spread the disease.
For more information on Avian Flu on this website, go to My Blog, and click on the entry from 2/12.