Avian Influenza

The Wild Bird Feeding Industry (WBFI) recognizes that consumers are concerned about the H5N1 strain of the Avian Flu. The sheer number of media reports may lead you to the conclusion that a pandemic is unavoidable, yet the facts at this time do not support that theory. To date, there is no record of humans contracting avian influenza from wild birds. Human infections have occurred in people who have been closely associated with infected poultry and waterfowl. The H5N1 strain has not been documented in North America. Consumers are encouraged to continue to enjoy their bird feeding and watching activities, as well as other outdoor activities. WBFI, as well as other North America birding associations and international health care organizations, are closely monitoring the avian flu situation.

Please check this and our affiliate sites frequently for updated information.

Avian Influenza — Contributed by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
What North American bird watchers should know about the "bird flu"

With frequent media coverage raising concerns about avian influenza, the Lab of Ornithology has compiled the following information to help you better understand the virus and assess the threat.

Summary:
• The “bird flu” currently found in Asia and a few locations in Europe is caused by the H5N1 strain of the influenza virus. Approximately 60 human deaths in Southeast Asia have been attributed to the virus since 1998. Most of these victims were in close contact with infected poultry.
• As of October 2005, no cases of influenza (H5N1) have been detected in wild birds, domestic poultry, or people in North America.
• The current risks to human health are extremely low because the virus is not easily spread between people. However, the virus may mutate into a form that can be transmitted between humans. If this happens, the risk of contracting the bird flu from other people is far greater than the risk of contracting the virus from wild birds.
• Although exposure to the bird flu is currently not a threat in North America, people can contract other illnesses from sick birds and their fecal material. Avoid handling sick birds and always wash your hands with soap and water after filling bird feeders.
• There is no need to stop watching, feeding, or attracting birds to your yard because of the bird flu.

What is H5N1 and where did it come from?
The “bird flu” currently spreading through Asia and parts of Europe is of great concern due to its potential impact on populations of wild and domestic birds, and the possibility that the virus may mutate into a form that is easily transmitted between people.

Influenza viruses are classified by the two types of antigens, hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), which attach to the surface of the virus. Approximately 135 different strains of influenza viruses exist, each with different combinations of the H and N proteins. The H5N1 strain was first detected in wild terns in South Africa in 1961. The latest outbreak began in Hong Kong in 1997 and spread to eight Asian countries in 2003–04. The virus has continued to spread through Russia and towards Europe. By October 2005, the H5N1 strain was confirmed in domestic poultry flocks in Romania, Turkey, and Greece.

How will people be affected by the bird flu?
H5N1, in its current form, is not contagious in humans. Although approximately 60 deaths have been attributed to H5N1 in Southeast Asia, these cases were associated with close contact between humans and infected domestic poultry. There have been no documented cases of H5N1 being transmitted between wild birds and humans. The risk of transmission between humans and wild birds is remote unless there is close contact with the fecal material of infected birds.

As of October 2005, there have been no cases of influenza caused by the H5N1 strain in birds or humans in North America. However, it is possible that the H5N1 will circulate in North America at some point in the future. The virus could be carried to North America in any number of ways, including through trade in infected poultry or pet birds, migration of sick birds, and travel by infected people. This strain of the flu virus has not previously circulated in human populations, so people have not developed resistance to the virus. A vaccine for protecting people against the H5N1 strain does not exist (October 2005), and several months would be required to develop a vaccine in the event of an outbreak in humans. However, two existing antiviral medications would likely be effective against the virus.

Will the bird flu impact bird populations?
Influenza viruses are common in wild birds, especially waterfowl and shorebirds. Although wild birds rarely become sick when infected, the H5N1 strain apparently can significantly impact wild birds as hundreds of waterfowl died during an outbreak on a reservoir in Mongolia.

It is unknown if H5N1 can cause significant mortality in songbirds.

If H5N1 does make it to North America and is spread in populations of wild birds, long-term surveys such as Project FeederWatch will help us assess the impact of the virus.

H5N1 would certainly be a threat to domestic poultry in North America. Outbreaks of avian influenza regularly occur in domestic poultry, leading to direct mortality and the need to cull infected flocks. In 2004, for instance, infected poultry flocks were culled following influenza outbreaks in British Columbia (H7N3 strain), Texas (H5N2 strain), and Delaware (H7N2 strain). While these outbreaks caused economic losses to the poultry farmers, no widespread effects were detected in people or wild bird populations.

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Avian Flu not a danger for bird watchers or feeders in North America
Press Release dated 22 October 2005

Sioux Falls, SD - Consumers who enjoy watching and feeding backyard birds are not in danger of contracting the Avian Flu, according to Dr. David Bonter of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
“The spread of the H5N1 strain of the flu across Asia and Europe is certainly a cause for concern. However, there has not been a documented case of the H5N1 strain in wild birds in North America. There is no need to be concerned about feeding birds,” he stated.

Rob Fergus, Science Coordinator with the National Audubon Science Office, concurred with the Cornell findings. “The wild birds most likely to harbor or spread avian influenza are ducks and other waterfowl, often referred to as wild birds. There is a distinction between wild waterfowl, and the wild birds at our feeders,” he said. “At this point in time, there is no evidence humans are at serious risk of contracting avian flu from backyard birds or bird feeding.”

The Wild Bird Feeding Industry recognizes consumers may be concerned about the possibility of contracting H5N1 from their backyard feeders. “Human infections have occurred in people who have been closely associated with infected poultry. Not the wild birds at the feeder,” noted Susan Hays, Executive Director of the WBFI.

The World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and numerous other international organizations are closely monitoring the spread and transmission of the H5N1 strain of influenza. “There is an overwhelming amount of information available on the web, and it’s good that consumers stay informed,” Steve Runnels, President/CEO of the American Birding Association stated. “This is becoming a conservation issue, and we encourage consumers here in North America to continue to feed their backyard birds.”

Wild birds accustomed to finding their favorite seed at the feeder need not be disappointed, especially with the onset of winter weather. “Base your feeding decisions on facts, not fears,” said Tom Franklin, Conservation Director with the Izaak Walton League of America. “Outdoor enthusiasts and bird feeders should continue to enjoy their activities. But remember to use common sense. Cleanliness and sanitation should be maintained at all times, whether you’re a feeder or outdoor sportsman. Keep feeding areas and feeders clean, following the recommendations of the ‘6 Steps’ program created by WBFI and other birding associations.”

Franklin’s reference to the "6 Steps to turn your yard into a sanctuary for birds" is a tip sheet for feeders and includes information on maintaining healthy feeder stations. Fourteen organizations contributed to the development of the material, and it is available free to the public at http://www.backyardbirdcare.org/.

A portion of the literature reads "Keep feed and feeding areas clean. To help reduce the possibility of disease transmission in birds, clean feeders and feeding areas at least once a month. Plastic and metal feeders can go in the dishwasher, or rinse these and other styles with a 10% solution of bleach and warm water. Scrub birdbaths with a brush and replace water every three to five days to discourage mosquito reproduction. Rake up and dispose of seed hulls under feeders. Moving feeders periodically helps prevent the buildup of waste on the ground. Keep seed and foods dry; discard food that smells musty, is wet or looks moldy. Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned every three to five days, or every other day in warm weather. It’s good hygiene to wash your hands after filling or cleaning feeders."

“Again, it’s the common sense approach to all possible infectants, not just the avian flu,” said Paul Baicich of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “Bottom line: H5N1 has pandemic potential, but it is not a pandemic virus. The situation is worthy of concern, but not panic.”

North American birding associations include many trained ornithologists and biologists on staff, and these professionals are closely monitoring the avian flu situation. Consumers are encouraged to visit the following websites for updated information:

Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
National Wildlife Health Center
National Audubon Society
American Birding Association
National Wildlife Refuge Association
Izaak Walton League of America
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization

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Avian Influenza — Bulletin from National Wildlife Health Center
Wildlife Health Bulletin #05-03

To: Natural Resource/Conservation Managers
From: Leslie Dierauf, Director, USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Title: Interim Guidelines for the Protection of Persons Handling Wild Birds With Reference to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1
Date: August 29, 2005

These Guidelines have been developed in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are advisory in nature and are intended to provide guidance for field biologists and others working with or handling wild birds with specific reference to highly pathogenic avian influenza. The guidance reflects information available as of August 2005 and may be updated as more information becomes available.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1
To date, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A H5N1 has not been detected in humans, poultry or wild birds in North America (N.A.), and no data suggest that H5N1 should be suspected of being in N.A. or in wild birds migrating from Asia to N.A. this fall (2005).

Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a virus typically found in wild birds, especially waterfowl and shorebirds. The virus is only found in a small number of birds in the wild, and generally does not cause clinical signs of disease. The virus is shed in fecal droppings, saliva and nasal discharges. Since 2003, a particularly virulent strain of this virus has emerged in Asia — the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus. The HPAI H5N1 virus probably originated from domestic poultry in that region and is of concern because: 1) it poses a threat to domestic poultry, especially chickens; and 2) it has caused illness in 112 persons, including the deaths of at least 57 people as of August 2005. Most human cases are thought to have become infected with the virus through direct handling of infected poultry, consumption of uncooked poultry products, or contact with virus-contaminated surfaces/materials. However, to date, the risk of H5N1 transmission to people through direct contact with infected poultry remains very low. Probable, limited person-to-person transmission of H5N1 viruses in a small number of cases has been reported.

There are an increasing number of reports that HPAI H5N1 is infecting and causing death in wild birds, including some migratory species. These events, and the associated spread of the H5N1 virus to new geographical areas in Asia, have created concerns and questions about the possibility that the H5N1 virus could be carried into North America with migratory birds.

These Guidelines provide advice about practices and precautions people should exercise to mitigate the risk of HPAI H5N1 viral infection based on the level of exposure to wild birds. Because situations can change quickly, we have included recommendations for handling wild birds in the event that HPAI H5N1 is detected. It is important to check with your respective public health, animal health, and natural resource agencies for up-to-date information on HPAI H5N1.

There is no known case where H5N1 has been transmitted from wild birds to humans. However, even apparently healthy wild birds can be infected with microorganisms other than HPAI, some of which are currently of more concern to human health in North America than HPAI H5N1.

Recommendations:
Thoroughly washing hands with soap and water (or with alcohol-based hand products if the hands are not visibly soiled) is a very effective method for inactivating influenza viruses, including HPAI. These viruses are also inactivated with many common disinfectants such as detergents, 10% household bleach, alcohol or other commercial disinfectants. The virus is more difficult to inactivate in organic material such as feces or soil.
The General Public should, as a general rule, observe wildlife, including wild birds, from a distance. This protects you from possible exposure to pathogens and minimizes disturbance to the animal.
• Avoid touching wildlife. If there is contact with wildlife do not rub eyes, eat, drink, or smoke before washing hands with soap and water as described above.
• Do not pick up diseased or dead wildlife. Contact your state, tribal or federal natural resource agency if a sick or dead animal is found.

Hunters should follow routine precautions when handling game.
• Do not handle or eat sick game.
• Wear rubber or disposable latex gloves while handling and cleaning game, wash hands as described above, and thoroughly clean knives, equipment and surfaces that come in contact with game.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling animals.
• All game should be thoroughly cooked (well done or 160o F).

Additional information can be found here.

Field Biologists handling apparently healthy wild birds in areas where HPAI H5N1 is not suspected:

Work in well-ventilated areas if working indoors, and when working outdoors work upwind of animals, to the extent practical, to decrease the risk of inhaling aerosols such as dust, feathers, or dander.
• When possible, wear rubber or latex gloves that can be disinfected or disposed of and protective eyewear or a face shield while handling animals.
• Wash hands often as described above, and disinfect work surfaces and equipment between sites.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling animals.

Field Biologists handling sick or dead birds associated with a mortality event
• Follow the recommendations above and at a minimum wear protective clothing, including coveralls, rubber boots, latex or rubber gloves that can be disinfected or disposed of.
• Minimize exposure to mucosal membranes by wearing protective eyewear (goggles) and a particulate surgical mask (NIOSH N95 respirator/mask is preferable).
• Decontaminate work area and properly dispose of potentially infectious material including carcasses. For additional information see USGS Field Guide to Wildlife Diseases.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling animals.

Recommendations if HPAI is detected in N.A.
Field Biologists working with wild birds in areas where HPAI H5N1 has been detected, particularly during disease control operations, should consult with a health care provider and follow the latest guidelines from CDC and the WHO for prophylactic medications and precautions for persons involved in avian influenza disease control:
• Follow the recommendations above and the basics of infection control, including how to put on and use, remove, disinfect or dispose of personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing.
• Wash hands frequently and disinfect exposed surfaces and field equipment between work sites.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling animals.
• Wear coveralls, gloves, shoe covers, or boots that can be disinfected or disposed of, a respirator (NIOSH N95 respirator/ mask is preferable) and protective eyewear (goggles).
• Monitor your health for clinical signs of influenza infection during and for one week after last exposure to potentially HPAI virus-infected or exposed birds.
• Contact your healthcare provider if you develop fever, flu-like symptoms or conjunctivitis (eye inflammation). Inform them prior to arrival that you have been potentially exposed to HPAI.

Additional information about HPAI H5N1 can be found at the following Web links:
USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Avian Influenza — No need to kill wild birds
article from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

16 July 2004, Bangkok -- FAO has urged countries in Asia not to cull wild birds in response to recent outbreaks of avian influenza in China, Thailand and Viet Nam.

"Killing wild birds will not help to prevent or control avian influenza outbreaks," said Juan Lubroth of the FAO Animal Health Service. "Wild birds are an important element of the ecosystem and should not be destroyed."

Although it is recognized that certain species of water fowl can be a reservoir of avian influenza viruses, "to date, there is no scientific evidence that wildlife is the major factor in the resurgence of the disease in the region," he added.

Gaps in biosecurity
The major factors contributing to the spread of the avian influenza virus are poor hygienic practices related to the production, processing and marketing of poultry, contaminated products, gaps in biosecurity and individuals not following recommended control measures, FAO said.

"Hunting wild birds, some of which are listed as endangered, or cutting down trees to destroy roosting sites, is likely to disperse wild birds into new areas, stress them further and could make them susceptible to avian influenza or other diseases," said William Karesh of the Wildlife Conservation Society, based in New York.

Improved poultry coops and biosecurity measures to keep farm poultry, including ducks, from coming into contact with free-flying fowl can diminish the risk of disease spread.

Immediate reporting
If surveillance is improved and immediate reporting is strictly applied, starting from the villages, more pockets of infection and disease are bound to be detected at their early stage. This is the best way of dealing with avian influenza, FAO said.

Not declaring outbreaks of the disease will diminish the success of control measures and further delay restocking investments for poultry farmers or make them unsuccessful.

Emergency response plans should include the immediate destruction of affected poultry flocks using proper protective equipment and clothing following World Health Organization guidelines, and cleaning and disinfection of the premises.

Destroyed or dead birds should never be fed to other animals nor should their carcasses be sold. Markets and marketing patterns should be carefully monitored and samples collected for analysis.

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Avian Influenza — Fact Sheet from Wildlife Conservation Society

HOW CAN WE PROTECT HUMAN, LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE HEALTH FROM AVIAN INFLUENZA?

There are new reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) from Central Asia, including Russia and Kazakhstan. Although not confirmed, an avian influenza outbreak in Mongolia may also be H5N1. In official reports to the World Organization for Animal Health, both Russia and Kazakhstan have indicated that the virus was introduced by migratory birds; however, this has not been demonstrated scientifically. Almost all the human infections with H5N1 avian influenza in Southeast Asia resulted from contact with domestic poultry and/or domestic waterfowl. Wild birds have not been implicated in any human infection.

WHY IS THIS A CONSERVATION ISSUE?

Avian influenza presents a threat to wild bird conservation on several fronts. First, although most strains of avian influenza are relatively benign, H5N1 appears to be able to cause illness and death in many species of wild birds. Second, some public and animal health officials will blame wild birds for spreading H5N1, and there may be calls for culling of wild birds to try to control or limit the spread of H5N1.

WHY CAN’T CULLING WILD BIRDS CONTROL AVIAN INFLUENZA?

Culling can be effective in controlling domestic animal diseases but there are no examples where culling of native wildlife has completely eradicated a wildlife disease. There are several key reasons why culling of wild birds will not work for controlling avian influenza:
1) Culling birds might lead to increased spread of the virus, as culling activities such as shooting or capture attempts would immediately disperse many birds and the disease to other areas. Disturbing or modifying bird nesting or roosting areas will produce similar results.
2) Species that die from the virus are unlikely to carry the virus long distances, so the reservoir is likely a species that is showing few or no clinical signs rather than the ones that are observed to be sick and dying. Without knowing which species are the reservoir, you cannot even begin to design a culling program.
3) Control of a wildlife disease through culling is likely only to be successful for diseases with low transmission rates that occur in one species, and where the outbreak is contained to a small area. None of these conditions are met with H5N1:
a) avian influenza is highly infectious, b) multiple species are being infected, and c) the disease is spread across much of Central and Southeast Asia.

For a scientific paper that discusses management of wildlife diseases, please go to this website.

WHAT CAN GOVERNMENTS DO TO PROTECT HUMAN, LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE HEALTH?

There are several strategies that can be followed to prevent transmission of avian influenza among livestock, wildlife and humans:

Improve Surveillance
Increased surveillance is critical to controlling avian influenza. Surveillance at domestic poultry and waterfowl production facilities is necessary to determine the spread of the virus, enact control measures, and protect human, livestock and wildlife health. Improved surveillance requires broad commitment, transparency, efficient reporting mechanisms, and extensive outreach to local poultry holders to provide education and incentives to report problems. Wildlife management authorities also need to be included in any surveillance systems.

Improve Biosecurity
The key to mitigating the effects of avian influenza on wild birds, domestic birds, and ultimately humans, is improved biosecurity. Specifically, contact between wild birds and domestic birds, as well as domestic birds and humans, must be minimized. The highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) virus isolated in the outbreak at Qinghai Nature Preserve (China) — where over 5000 wild birds died — was most closely related to virus isolates from domestic birds in Southern China from 2004. Therefore, the Qinghai outbreak most likely represented a “spill-over” event from domestic birds to wild birds. The best way to prevent future “spill-over” events from domestic to wild birds, and “spill-back” events from wild to domestic birds, is to prevent contact between these two groups. Furthermore, husbandry of domestic birds should be designed so that wild and domestic birds do not share water and feed sources.

For more information on improving biosecurity on farms, download this PDF.


Stop the Wildlife Trade
The legal and illegal trade in wildlife may have played a role in the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Benign avian influenza viruses commonly circulate in wild bird populations without causing disease. However, in wildlife and poultry markets, highly pathogenic strains of virus can evolve due to the high densities and high turnover of susceptible birds. Furthermore, as many species from disparate places, along with their numerous pathogenic and non-pathogenic viruses, are brought together in the wildlife trade, it provides increased opportunity for disease transmission among species. The movement of wildlife in the trade, often very long distances, can allow viruses to spread geographically. For example, recently smuggled Thai hawk-eagles that were intercepted at an airport in Belgium turned out to be infected with H5N1. Although a different virus, SARS also emerged from the Asian wildlife trade. Consequently, the trade in wildlife forms a clear and present danger to human, livestock and wildlife health.

For more information on the wildlife trade and global health, follow this link.

WHAT CAN AN INDIVIDUAL DO TO AVOID EXPOSURE TO H5N1?

In areas where H5N1 is suspected or reported to be present (map of the current distribution of H5N1 is here), humans may come into contact with birds infected with H5N1 by working in domestic poultry and waterfowl production, hunting wild birds, or by contacting found sick or dead birds.

The following precautions should be followed to prevent exposure to avian influenza:
1) Do not handle birds that appear sick or are found dead.
2) Wear disposable gloves, glasses or face shield, and a mask when handling live or dead birds.
3) Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling live or dead birds.
4) Wash hands with soap and water, and disinfect any surface that has come in contact with dead birds using alcohol, diluted bleach, or commercial disinfectants.
5) Thoroughly cook any bird intended for consumption (i.e., above 160°F or 70°C).
6) Dispose of remains of birds after field dressing in a way that will prevent mammalian and avian scavengers from contacting the carcass or remains.
7) In areas where H5N1 has been suspected or reported to be present, if flu-like symptoms develop within 10 days of handling live or dead birds, contact a physician and report that exposure to H5N1 may have occurred.
For more information on reducing opportunities for transmission of this virus among people, their animals, and wildlife please see the following website.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / RELATED LINKS

North American birding associations include many trained ornithologists and biologists on staff, and these professionals are closely monitoring the avian flu situation. Consumers are encouraged to visit the following websites for updated information:

Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
National Wildlife Health Center
National Audubon Society
American Birding Association
National Wildlife Refuge Association
Izaak Walton League of America
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization

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Site Contents ©WBFI 2005

WBFI - 1305 N. Tahoe Trail - Sioux Falls, SD 57110 - Phone: 888-839-1237 - Fax: 605-275-6697 - E-mail: info@wbfi.org

Articles: Avian Influenza | What North American bird watchers should know about the "bird flu" | Avian Flu not a danger for bird watchers or feeders in North America | Bulletin from National Wildlife Health Center | Avian Influenza — No need to kill wild birds | Avian Influenza — Fact Sheet from Wildlife Conservation Society