Ridge Runner Chronicles – December 14, 2022
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The New Bird Flu
By Bill Hoagland
A few weeks ago, wildlife authorities reported that they found 300 dead snow geese and 100 dead ducks on Coffeen Lake in Southern Illinois. These dead animals tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as Avian bird flu. If you are a duck hunter, you should be concerned for a number of reasons which we will discuss in a minute, but really this newest mutated version of the bird flu—referred to as the Eurasian strain of this virus–should concern a lot of folks because it is highly contagious. It has spread to nearly all states in the continental US and has already impacted not only the waterfowl populations but domestically produced turkeys and chickens as well. According to the National Wildlife Health Center, as of late November, more than 49 million waterfowl and domestic birds have died or have been intentionally destroyed this year as a result of this virus. And now the infected waterfowl are in their fall migrations, spreading the virus even further across the continent.
I am no expert, but I have cobbled together some common-sense advice for not only the duck hunters in the crowd but others who might routinely come into contact with birds carrying this virus. First as to the duck hunters, there is evidence this virus has spread to some mammals, such as foxes, so if you love your Labrador retriever, don’t let him retrieve infected ducks. In other words, when you arrive at wherever you are hunting, if you see dead ducks or geese floating in the water when you get there, you should retrieve and dispose of those ducks before your dog starts doing what he is supposed to do. The same goes for those live ducks and geese during the hunt that don’t seem quite right—you know, those ducks in flight that are not frightened by humans and those on the water that are swimming in tight circles. If you kill a duck or goose with odd behavior, you should assume they are infected. As to your own health, use a mask and gloves to clean all ducks and geese. And forget about eating blood-rare ducks for a while; the authorities say as long as you cook your waterfowl to at least 170 degrees, it should be safe to eat. Now is not the time to be a macho gourmand.
As to others who routinely come in contact with domestic fowl, such as those who raise chickens in their backyard, if a bird looks sick, it probably is and may prompt having to dispose of that bird and maybe the entire flock. To the extent you routinely clean areas where there are domestic birds, wear a mask and gloves when cleaning and wash your clothing afterwards. So far, only one person has been diagnosed with an infection of the HPAI virus–a person in North Dakota who was cleaning out a pen of diseased chickens or turkeys and who apparently did not take precautions.
We certainly don’t need another pandemic resulting from the spread of a virus from a non-human to a human, such as was the case with COVID-19, SARS, MARS, Ebola and other diseases for which we seemingly have no effective cure. Zoonotic diseases can be devastating because from an evolutionary standpoint, our bodies have never been confronted with these diseases before and we have no natural bodily defenses. If you suspect that you have encountered a fowl infected with HPAI, you should report it to the authorities. Contact information can be found on the CDC web site or the National Wildlife Health Center website.
Finally, I don’t have room in this column to discuss the impact HPAI could have on our food supply but the potential impact should be obvious. We have already seen a reduction in the number of turkeys and chickens available for human consumption and the corresponding increase in our grocery bills so let’s hope the situation stabilizes soon.
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■ Bill Hoagland has practiced law in Alton for more than 50 years, but he has spent more than 70 years hunting, fishing and generally being in the great outdoors. His wife, Annie, shares his love of the outdoor life. Much of their spare time is spent on their farm in Calhoun County. Bill can be reached at [email protected].
