Can small birds visiting my feeder get bird flu? Does feeding them put my family at risk?
Documents and LinksPublic health and wildlife officials say small birds elsewhere have been infected by the H5N1 virus. Small birds also can carry bacteria that are harmful to people. Bird feeders aren’t recommended because birds don’t need extra food in the summer and the feeders attract bears. When it comes to H5N1, however, health and wildlife officials say bird feeders are unlikely to pose a significant threat to homeowners.
Related QuestionsWhat is avian influenza (AI)/Bird flu and which birds does it affect?
Frequently Asked QuestionsAvian influenza is a highly infectious disease affecting many species of birds, including commercial, wild and pet birds. It may also affect people and other animals in certain circumstances. A Type A influenza virus causes it.
Related QuestionsWhat is the risk to humans from bird flu?
Avian Flu Frequently Asked QuestionsThe risk from bird flu is generally low to most people because the viruses occur mainly among birds and do not usually infect humans. However, during an outbreak of bird flu among poultry (domesticated chicken, ducks, turkeys), there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with excretions from infected birds.
Related QuestionsWho is most at risk to contract bird flu?
FAQ's - AVIAN INFLUENZA (BIRD FLU) AND AVIAN INFLUENZA A H5N...The elderly, the very young, and those with compromised immune systems have the greatest risks of contracting bird flu. Proximity to the virus in infected birds is necessary as well. The risk from bird flu is generally low for most people because the virus occurs mainly among birds and does not usually infect humans.
Related QuestionsWhy does the current bird flu outbreak pose a risk for becoming a pandemic flu outbreak in humans?
NAVNew human flu viruses can arise from bird flu viruses that then change to a form that can infect humans and spread readily from person to person. Current bird flu outbreaks in Asia, Europe and Africa are caused by a type of flu virus called "H5N1." Human infections and deaths due to the H5N1 virus have occurred, although the virus has at this time not developed the ability to pass easily from person to person and cause outbreaks in humans.
Related QuestionsAre my pet birds at risk for the H5N1 avian flu?
Bird Flu -- Frequently Asked Questions - ADHSpresent, the H5N1 avian flu is not known to be here in the United States. Those with pet birds, such as parrots, cockatiels, love birds or budgies should not worry about their pets getting "bird flu" if they have not been out of the country or in contact with birds from other countries. In order to protect your pet birds from other avian diseases, keep your birds isolated from wild birds. Isolation of newly acquired or ill birds from others for 30 days is recommended.
Related QuestionsHow does bird flu spread amongst the birds and in human beings?
web_block_rightMigratory water fowl- the wild ducks carry the virus but do not suffer from disease. Epidemics of bird flu occur when domesticated birds like chicken or turkey come in contact with wild ducks carrying the virus. Bird flu may start as a mild illness but after some months due to changes in the virus may become serious and kill nearly all the affected birds.
Related QuestionsHow does bird flu spread?
Avian Flu Frequently Asked QuestionsInfected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated excretions or surfaces that are contaminated with excretions. It is believed that most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces.
Related QuestionsWhich countries have identified bird flu in wild birds or domestic flocks?
Frequently Asked Questions About Pandemic Influenza and Avia...According to the World Health Organization, the avian flu in wild and/or domestic birds has spread from Southeast Asia to South Asia and Pacific countries, to Africa and the Near East and to several countries in Europe. Forty-three countries have reported infected birds as of April 19, 2006.
Related QuestionsWho is at risk of getting bird flu?
web_block_rightIn the affected countries, people who work in the poultry farms are at risk. Those who are selling birds and eggs are also at risk of getting the disease. Staff members who visit the affected country to investigate the epidemic can come in contact with the droppings of birds during their field visits and are therefore at greater risk of getting the disease. People who work in the laboratory who handle the infected material are also at risk.
Related QuestionsWhat is the best feeder for bird feeding?
Bird Watcher's Digest: Frequently Asked Questions: Feeding Q...There is no single best feeder for bird feeding. A well-rounded feeding operation will include a platform feeder, a tube feeder, a hopper feeder, a suet feeder, and a peanut feeder. And don't forget the bird bath! The seed-drilling culprit is a weevil that lays its eggs on developing sunflower seeds. The hatching larvae consume the kernel and then drill exit holes through the shells.
Related QuestionsWhat is "Bird Flu"?
IA DNR: Avian Flu FAQBird Flu" or Avian Influenza is a highly contagious viral disease that can classified as either low pathogenic (low mortality) or high pathogenic (up to 100% mortality). Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza like the common flu in humans is a common annual event in birds. High Pathogenic Avian Influenza like the H5N1 virus circulating in Asia, Europe, and Africa is less common.
Related QuestionsAvian Flu Awareness: Case Western Reserve UniversityAvian influenza, or bird flu, is a virus that is highly contagious among wild birds and often fatal to domesticated birds and poultry. There are several strains of bird flu that affect birds, but the one causing the most concern is the H5N1 subtype, which is highly lethal to domesticated birds. The H5N1 strain was first detected in humans in 1997 and has killed 67 people in Southeast Asia since 2003.Related Questions
City of Austin - Pandemic Influenza PlanningAvian influenza occurs naturally among birds. The viruses usually don't infect humans. However, in 1997, a deadly strain of bird flu known as H5N1 appeared among humans in Hong Kong. Eighteen people were hospitalized and six people died. All of them had had close contact with poultry. H5N1 resurfaced in Hong Kong in 2003, killing one person. Since then cases of human infection with the bird flu virus have been reported in a number of countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa.Related Questions
Avian Bird Flu Pandemic - Frequently Asked QuestionsBird ? or avian ? flu is caused by a virus that usually infects birds (particularly poultry) but occasionally crosses the species barrier and infects humans ? recently predominantly in the Far East, although it also happens elsewhere. Until recently, avian flu was thought to affect people rarely and usually cause only mild disease such as conjunctivitis. Since 1997, however, one strain of bird flu ? H5N1 ? has been associated with a very high death rate when people have been affected.Related Questions
What are the symptoms of Bird Flu in birds?
Frequently Asked Questions - ADB.orgThe symptoms in birds vary from a mild illness barely noticed (sometimes expressed as ruffled feathers or reduced egg production) to a "highly pathogenic avian influenza", which is extremely contagious and rapidly fatal for the birds.
Related QuestionsIs the bird flu contracted by eating the infected birds?
web_block_rightThere is minimal risk from consuming the infected eggs or infected meat provided it is well cooked. The danger is greater if the human beings come in contact with their droppings by inhaling them or by coming in contact with any material that is infected with the virus. At present there is no risk of transmission of the disease from another infected person since human transmission of the disease is not known to date. There is no evidence that bird flu is a food borne disease.
Related QuestionsWhat does a bird with the bird flu actually look like?
APFluWatch Answers Pandemic Flu and Avian Flu QuestionsDomestic birds will generally totter around with bloodshot eyes, as the virus affects their brains and organs. It kills them very quickly. Wild birds may show no sign of the disease for extended periods of time. Ducks and other wild birds have tested positive for H5N1 in the past, with no symptoms surfacing for months.
Related QuestionsI just put a feeder (and/or bird bath) in my yard. Why are no birds coming?
Wild Birds FAQ - frequently asked questions about wild birdsSometimes it takes birds quite a while before they use a new feeder or bird bath. If after ten days, no birds are visiting, think about moving the unit to another location in your yard. I don't have any suggestions. Hopefully, this bird will quickly pass through whatever season is causing this behavior or move to another location. Even if you succeeded in chasing the bird out of a particular tree, it would probably choose another location equally close.
Related QuestionsHow does avian flu spread in birds?
Avian influenza : Frequently Asked QuestionsInfected birds shed flu virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces (droppings). Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated excretions or surfaces that are contaminated with excretions.
Related QuestionsMy dog found some dead birds. Does this mean it will get 'flu?
Frequently Asked QuestionsThere is no evidence that any type of avian influenza (AI) has passed from avian species to dogs. So even in the unlikely event that the reported dead birds had died from AI, the risk to your dog would be extremely low. Cases of dog 'flu have been recorded in the USA, but in this case the virus is believed to have originated from horse 'flu.
Related QuestionsI have domestic birds. How would I know if my domestic birds have bird flu?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) website (http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/special_avian.html) provides information about how to assess whether a bird may be infected with bird flu. You can also visit the Department of Agriculture for general information on Avian Influenza (http://www.deptan.go.id/) or the Directorate General of Animal Health of the Department of Agriculture at (http://keswan.ditjennak.go.id/).
Related QuestionsHow does the bird flu become contagious to humans?
IA DNR: Avian Flu FAQThe avian influenza virus must change. The virus can change to become more contagious among humans in two ways. The first is a "reassortment" event, in which genetic material is exchanged between human and avian viruses during co-infection of a human or pig. Reassortment could result in a fully contagious pandemic virus.
Related QuestionsHow can I reduce my risk of getting seasonal flu, bird flu or pandemic flu?
APHAThe best way to protect yourself from the common flu that goes around each year is to get a flu shot. However, there is currently no flu shot for avian or pandemic flu. By following these simple steps, you can reduce your risk of getting the flu, regardless of whether it’s avian, pandemic or seasonal: Wash your hands often, long enough and with warm water and soap. Wash your hands for as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” all the way through twice (about 20 seconds).
Related QuestionsShould we stop feeding birds and not have bird feeders?
FAQ Bird FluThere is no need to change your normal practices for feeding backyard birds at this time. If the H5Nl bird flu does occur in our country, experts may have different advice, depending on what has been learned about the role of wild birds in spreading bird flu to humans.
Related QuestionsHow long does it take for the birds to find the feeder?
Underneath Birdfeeder: Frequently Asked QuestionsProfessional bird people will tell you that it may take weeks for a bird to try a new bird feeder. But, with the starter dish filled with seed when you first hang it up, the birds will find it sooner.
Related QuestionsWhat is the risk to people in the United States from the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in Asia and Europe?
Avian Flu Frequently Asked QuestionsThe current risk to Americans from the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in Asia is low. The strain of H5N1 virus found in Asia and Europe has not been found in the United States. There have been no human cases of H5N1 flu in the United States. It is possible that travelers returning from affected countries in Asia could be infected if they were exposed to the virus. Since February 2004, medical and public health personnel have been watching closely to find any such cases.
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