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The
Hawaii Department of Agriculture-Animal Industry Division runs avian
influenza tests on dead or sick poultry submitted for testing.
Avian
influenza (AI), the bird flu, is a naturally occurring virus that
infects wild birds (shore birds, waterfowl and migratory birds) and
domestic poultry (chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese). Avian influenza
normally takes on a low pathogenic form, but a new strain, HPAI H5N1,
has emerged and has been responsible for deaths in over 80 bird
species. So far, the virus has been reportedly contained to wild birds
and poultry in Asia, Europe and Africa. However, such reports have been
increasing in number. In rare cases, the virus has caused illness and
death in some humans who had been in close contact with infected
domestic poultry. Avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) has not been detected in
birds or humans in North America or the Pacific. Public
health concerns stem from the potential of the present avian influenza
strain to mutate and become a pandemic, easily spread from person to
person. Possible routes of introduction to North America include
migratory birds traveling from places where the virus has been found,
illegal import of poultry or poultry products, and travel by people who
are infected or traveling with contaminated articles. Cooperative
partnerships among state, federal and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific
islands provide for testing of live wild birds and dead feral chickens
to detect avian influenza. Agencies involved in coordinated monitoring
of Hawaii and the Pacific islands include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, USGS National Wildlife Health Center, U.S. Dept. of
Agriculture-Wildlife Services, State of Hawaii Dept. of Land and
Natural Resources-Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Hawaii Dept. of
Health, as well as agencies in Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern
Mariana Islands, Palau and American Samoa. "We
are more likely to detect AI in a single dead bird more than we are
going to detect it from a live wild bird, which is why the dead bird
reporting is so important," said Shelly Kremer, Pacific Regional
Coordinator for Avian Influenza, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Early Detection
The
Hawaii Department of Health and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ask
the public's help in the early detection of avian influenza. This virus
is highly contagious among birds. It has caused millions of deaths in
wild and domestic birds in areas of the world where the virus has
spread.
Although
avian influenza is not present in Hawaii, testing dead birds serves as
a barometer to help determine if the virus has arrived. A dead bird,
which has not decomposed or been run over by a vehicle, can be tested
by the Dept. of Health State Laboratory for possible contamination.
The
public can help in early detection efforts by reporting sightings of
dead birds to the Aloha United Way toll free hotline: 211, or by
visiting www.gotdeadbird.org. |
