Collection of Avian Influenza-impacted wildlife expanded Through DNREC-USDA effort

DOVER – The Delmarva Avian Influenza Joint Information Center announced today that the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services are collaborating to collect sick and deceased snow geese and other wild birds that may have succumbed to the outbreak of avian influenza currently spreading throughout the state. The expanded statewide collection effort to help track the bird flu is funded through DNREC and the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA).

Sick or dead wild animals found in Delaware during the avian influenza outbreak or at any time of year are to be reported to the DNREC Wildlife Section. Reporting deceased or ill wildlife does not guarantee that DNREC and APHIS Wildlife Services will respond to every report, only that a DNREC or APHIS Wildlife Services representative will assess the report and, if additional information is needed, may make follow-up contact.

State authorities also reiterated that the public should not pick up or handle sick birds. Dead birds should not be picked up unless disposable plastic gloves are worn to handle them. This guidance also applies to waterfowl hunters – as the DNREC Wildlife Section has been made aware of hunters examining their harvest and then moving ducks or geese to a game bag or carrying strap without following recommended precautions for wild birds that might have contracted avian influenza.

• Anyone encountering sick or dead wild birds on private or public property should report their findings immediately to State authorities.
  • Report sightings of sick or dead wild birds through the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife’s sick, injured, or dead wildlife reporting form.
  • If you notice signs of HPAI or experience increased mortality in your backyard flock, notify DDA at [email protected].
• If a resident finds a dead wild bird on their property and wants to remove it themselves, they should wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, a mask, and safety glasses, to dispose of it. Double-bag each dead bird found, zip-tie the bag, and put it in the trash bin for pickup and disposal at a Delaware Solid Waste Authority landfill. Residents are also advised to carefully remove and dispose of all PPE in the dedicated trash bags and always wash their hands afterward.
• Additionally, waterfowl hunters are advised to follow more focused protocols from APHIS for handling and field dressing any wild fowl they harvest in Delaware during an avian influenza outbreak.

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