After reporting a dead crow or blue jay, the bird can be picked up and disposed of in the household garbage by placing a plastic bag over your hand, picking up the bird with the covered hand, and pulling the bag around the bird. While West Nile Virus is not easily transmitted to humans by handling an infected bird, it is prudent to avoid touching sick or dead birds with bare hands. Double bagging and sealing or tightly tying the bag shut should help prevent odors in the garbage.

If you find die offs involving 10 or more dead birds of the same species or from different species in the same place you should contact the Defra Helpline 08459 33 55 77, 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday. Wild birds can carry several diseases that are infectious to people. Dead birds should not be handled unnecessarily for hygiene reasons. The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens consider that the risk of transmission of HPAI from wild birds is small.

West Nile Virus (WNV) was first identified in Dane County in 2001, in a dead crow. Multiple WNV positive birds have been found in Dane County every year since then. For this reason, the emergence of the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (WNV) in Wisconsin, and specifically in Dane County, has created the need for a public health response. The following is information about WNV, the illness that may result, and Madison's public health response.

If you find dead wild gulls, waders, ducks, geese or swans and you are within a survey area or unsure whether you are in a surveillance area please contact the Defra Helpline 08459 33 55 77, 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday. You will be asked for details of your finding and its location. Please see the wild bird surveillance pages for more information. If you find any other single dead birds, including garden birds then you do not need to call the Defra helpline.

Please report these without delay so that we can discuss with you and provide advice on the next steps.

It is always sensible to prevent pets eating wild bird or other animal carcases given that there is the possibility that the death could have been caused by poisoning or from a severe bacterial infection or the carcase could have been deliberately poisoned for use as a bait.

Dead in shell can be caused by a number of different problems. A careful examination of the egg is necessary to know at which point in the development of the embryo the chick died. Embryos dead in the shell are also commonly caused by a deficiency of iodine. Once supplementation begins, my own experience has shown a drop from as high as an 80% mortality rate to a rate of less than 10%. Very little iodine is needed, but that trace amount is crucial to life.

Wild birds can carry several diseases that are infectious to people. If dead birds are handled, it is important to wash your hands with soap and water as soon as possible. Avoid touching your face and certainly do not eat until you have washed your hands. Clean any soiling on clothing with soap and water.

There 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.

bull; 1-877-WNV-BIRD. Do not touch the bird. DHS will record all dead bird reports and will arrange for pickup and laboratory testing when appropriate.

No refunds are given, ONLY free replacement birds or a credit towards a future order if you prefer that option. No exceptions.

In the unlikely event that the reported dead birds had died from AI, the risk to your dog would be extremely low. You should be able to reach someone on the number given. In the unlikely event of not being able to get through, please capture as much detail as you can about the incident, including precise detail of location, and then telephone through on the next working day. Not if it’s clear that that’s the cause of death, or if the carcase is starting to putrefy.

Since this virus was not detected in the Western Hemisphere until 1999, it is likely that native bird populations in the U.S. were not previously exposed to the virus. It is not unusual for a new disease to cause high rates of infection or death because they do not have natural immunity to the infection. It is not known if or how long it will take for populations to develop sufficient immunity.

For every dead bird: Avoid direct contact with the dead bird. Use rubber gloves or put a double plastic bag over your hand. (Grocery bags will do if they are in good shape.) Invert the bags over your hand, grab the bird, wrap it up and tie off or seal the bags. If you are using gloves, place the dead bird into a double plastic bag, wrap it up and tie off or seal the bags.

If you notice large numbers of dead birds suddenly appearing in a small area (e.g., more than three dead birds in your backyard overnight), these birds may have been poisoned. Please contact your local Wildlife Resources office to report this. If you have a bird feeder, please read the following paragraphs for instructions on how to clean your feeder. Also, if birds are dying near your feeder, the feeder may need to be cleaned.

Not necessarily. There are many causes of birds dying, the most usual being an outbreak of an infectious disease, such as salmonella. If you clean your feeders and birdtables regularly you will help prevent infections from spreading.

No. Dead birds are only collected to determine if WNV is present in a county. When WNV is detected, according to the state protocol it is not necessary to retrieve dead birds for testing.

During the summer months, when West Nile virus is a threat, report dead birds to the Health Department at 355-0166, which will determine whether action is necessary. The Health Department is not performing routine testing of dead wild birds for avian influenza at this time.

Dead shorebirds or waterfowl (ducks, geese, etc.) can be reported to USDA-Wildlife Services at 1-866-4USDAWS (487-3297) as part of a national monitoring program for bird flu. If you find one or two dead song birds, it's very unlikely to be related to bird flu as it is not uncommon for bird losses to naturally occur from a variety of causes. A dead bird should be disposed of using a plastic glove or bag and placing it in the trash. Be sure to wash your hands afterwards.

You can play a significant role by reporting anything unusual, such as large numbers of sick or dead birds, to the Emergency Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66. Avian influenza is classed as a notifiable exotic disease under the Biosecurity Act; this means that any suspect cases must be notified to MAF immediately.

In the case of wild birds, the nearest office of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services should be notified so that appropriate personnel can determine whether the carcasses qualify for avian influenza (AI) testing (or another potentially infectious disease of concern). Carcasses should not be disturbed until that decision is made. View USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services office in your state.

Birds die for many reasons, but H5N1 has been the cause of deaths of wild birds in Europe and Asia. Do not handle any sick or dead birds you find. If you encounter dead or sick wild birds, and no obvious cause is apparent, call Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (207-287-8000). Please note the location, species of bird, and the date and time that you found them. Note: This material was produced on May 22, 2006. The avian influenza issue is constantly changing; please visit MaineFlu.gov for updates.

All NBSN member businesses operate retail yards that are open to the public. The inventory changes frequently, so you will want to check in often to see new material. To facilitate your shopping experience, you should bring exact dimensions and descriptions of the material you need.

The Department of Health is taking reports on dead bird sightings within New York City, especially crows and sparrows. While the Department of Health is interested in collecting information about dead birds as part of its efforts to understand West Nile virus, we will not be picking up every dead bird reported. The Department will only be collecting a small sample of the bird population.