[mou] bird flu, birds and birders

[Peder Svingen]

--Apple-Mail-1-74124491
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset=US-ASCII;
	format=flowed

The Ornithological Societies of North America home page provides a Fact 
Sheet and links to sites with information on Avian Influenza at

http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/OC/avianinfluenza.html

--
Peder H. Svingen
Duluth, MN

Begin forwarded message:

> From: bluebill@surfbest.net
> Date: March 4, 2006 1:06:00 PM CST
> To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu, mnbird@lists.mnbird.net
> Cc: jharincar@hotmail.com, ccerhart@hotmail.com, posel1967@comcast.net
> Subject: [mou] bird flu, birds and birders
>
> This summer, on the arctic breeding areas where Asian species mingle
> with American birds, more American birds will certainly become
> infected with, and spread, the avian flu that is has made its way to
> much of the other hemisphere, and has already been noted here.
>
> While much of the information in the media focuses on the flu and its
> anticipated mutation making it highly infectuous to humans, I have
> been wondering about its effects on birds and birders.
>
> In any population of wild birds, what percent will be infected, and
> what percent of these will die?  Will we be seeing (or are we already
> seeing) decreases in the populations of birds because of this flu. Is
> the magnitude known or been the subject of learned speculation?  Will
> some infected birds recover without obvious ill effects?
>
> Is it like West Nile in that some species seem to be more susceptible
> than others (if this is really true for West Nile)?
>
> Will eagles, hawks, gulls and vultures that consume dead and dying
> birds experience significant population drops because of this virus?
> It is said to be transmissible in humans by the consumption of dead
> birds. On the other hand, I have read that cooking the meat kills the
> virus.
>
> Do the federal or state agencies have any plans in place to remove
> obvious concentrations of infected birds? What should lay people do
> who observe dead and dying birds, whether in large concentrations of
> small groups?
>
> Will waterfowl and upland game hunters and researchers be infected by
> handling and eating infected birds? Is there any way to tell if a
> bird is infectuous, or do the birds die rapidly after the virus is
> active (it seems apparent that this is not true, based on the global
> spread of the organism by migrating and wondering birds.)
>
> Are birds that consume other birds the most likely to get this virus,
> or does it spread from bird to bird through the air, and through
> fecal contamination.
>
> Birders-- are we at increased risk because we are exposed to fecal
> matter by proximity to concentrated birds at our feeders? Are we at
> increased risk by the fecal dust that is in the nest material we
> remove from houses on our bluebird trails and in our yards?
>
> It is clear that there is much to learn about this virus, at least
> for me, to know about what steps to take to prevent its spread and
> human infection.
>
> Sorry for the length of this. But I think many are interested and we
> need to learn more about what's coming and what to do about it.
>
> Don Grussing
> Minnetonka, Minn.
> bluebill@surfbest.net
>
> _______________________________________________
> mou-net mailing list
> mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
> http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net

--Apple-Mail-1-74124491
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Type: text/enriched;
	charset=US-ASCII

The Ornithological Societies of North America home page provides a
Fact Sheet and links to sites with information on Avian Influenza at


http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/OC/avianinfluenza.html


--

Peder H. Svingen

Duluth, MN


Begin forwarded message:


<excerpt><bold><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>From:
</color></bold>bluebill@surfbest.net

<bold><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>Date: </color></bold>March
4, 2006 1:06:00 PM CST

<bold><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>To:
</color></bold>mou-net@cbs.umn.edu, mnbird@lists.mnbird.net

<bold><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>Cc:
</color></bold>jharincar@hotmail.com, ccerhart@hotmail.com,
posel1967@comcast.net

<bold><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>Subject: </color>[mou] bird
flu, birds and birders

</bold>

This summer, on the arctic breeding areas where Asian species mingle

with American birds, more American birds will certainly become

infected with, and spread, the avian flu that is has made its way to

much of the other hemisphere, and has already been noted here.


While much of the information in the media focuses on the flu and its

anticipated mutation making it highly infectuous to humans, I have

been wondering about its effects on birds and birders.


In any population of wild birds, what percent will be infected, and

what percent of these will die?  Will we be seeing (or are we already

seeing) decreases in the populations of birds because of this flu. Is

the magnitude known or been the subject of learned speculation?  Will

some infected birds recover without obvious ill effects?


Is it like West Nile in that some species seem to be more susceptible

than others (if this is really true for West Nile)?


Will eagles, hawks, gulls and vultures that consume dead and dying

birds experience significant population drops because of this virus?

It is said to be transmissible in humans by the consumption of dead

birds. On the other hand, I have read that cooking the meat kills the

virus.


Do the federal or state agencies have any plans in place to remove

obvious concentrations of infected birds? What should lay people do

who observe dead and dying birds, whether in large concentrations of

small groups?


Will waterfowl and upland game hunters and researchers be infected by

handling and eating infected birds? Is there any way to tell if a

bird is infectuous, or do the birds die rapidly after the virus is

active (it seems apparent that this is not true, based on the global

spread of the organism by migrating and wondering birds.)


Are birds that consume other birds the most likely to get this virus,

or does it spread from bird to bird through the air, and through

fecal contamination. 


Birders-- are we at increased risk because we are exposed to fecal

matter by proximity to concentrated birds at our feeders? Are we at

increased risk by the fecal dust that is in the nest material we

remove from houses on our bluebird trails and in our yards?


It is clear that there is much to learn about this virus, at least

for me, to know about what steps to take to prevent its spread and

human infection. 


Sorry for the length of this. But I think many are interested and we

need to learn more about what's coming and what to do about it.


Don Grussing

Minnetonka, Minn.

bluebill@surfbest.net


_______________________________________________

mou-net mailing list

mou-net@cbs.umn.edu

http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net

</excerpt>
--Apple-Mail-1-74124491--