Bird flu may have killed and spread owls in Utah. The precautions are as follows:

The virus was found in a wild owl that was found dead in Cash County last month.

The Utah Wildlife Resources Agency confirmed last week that bird flu had occurred in wild birds. Authorities are calling on Utah, which has or is in contact with birds, to take precautions.

The virus was found in a great horned owl carcass in April and was recently confirmed at the National Institute of Veterinary Services in Ames, Iowa. Later, five more owls were found dead in both Cash and Weba counties, and the wildlife department is waiting for their test results.

Bird flu can infect humans in some cases, One of Colorado After direct exposure to poultry, it was virus positive in late April. However, officials said the risk to the general public from this particular stock was low.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients in Colorado reported fatigue for several days as the only symptom and then recovered.

“Some strains are deadly, and like all influenza, they can mutate and invade other species,” said Virginia, a wildlife veterinarian at the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources. Stout says. “But as the disease spreads and changes, it can definitely change and become more toxic.”

However, these viruses are “very contagious” among birds and can cause rapid and high mortality, especially in poultry such as chickens, turkeys and ducks. They can also kill waterfowl, birds of prey and scavengers.

Tracy Eviary taking precautions

Officials said Tracy Eviary is taking precautions against infectious viruses among the Salt Lake City herds.

This includes the temporary closure of three exhibits containing birds at highest risk of being infected with the virus, the Kenecot Wetlands, backyard birds, and rainforest treasures. And some of the experiences of such close encounters Lori Quito AdventureWas stopped.

The aviary has also installed new nets to prevent wild birds from gathering with sensitive species. Also, some indoor exhibits may require shoe disinfection to limit the exposure of birds to external substances.

“Some of these places are endangered, so I advised them to put really special birds indoors so that there is no chance of contact between birds flying overhead and zoo species,” Stout said. Said.

“We had to remove a few geese from the premises,” Stout continued. [avian influenza] We spread it without our knowledge. “

Influenza can spread to birds by excretion through the nose and mouth, as well as feces. Bird feeders are usually unaffected by the virus, so unless you have backyard chickens or ducks, you don’t need to remove the bird feeder.

“Another thing you want to avoid is to go where there are waterfowl and stag beetles and use the same boots around the chickens in your house,” Stout said.

How can we help stop the spread?

According to Stout, the length of the restriction depends on the spread of the virus in the environment, so it is possible that the restriction will be lifted after a month or two in the state without new cases. There is.

Individuals need to report a group of dead waterfowl or scavengers they encounter, as the wildlife sector is testing birds when they discover bird flu. Also, be careful not to touch the birds.

“Just report it to us and we’ll come to collect them for testing,” Stout said in a news release. “Usually it does not significantly affect the overall population of waterfowl, but it has been identified in wild birds in the state and can die.”

The last confirmed case of avian influenza in Utah was 2014-15 during a national outbreak of highly pathogenic strains. At that time, the virus was found in two healthy ducks in Beehive.

“Most of it is related to migration, so the reason it started happening was because those birds were flying … and through that migration, they bring new viruses into the environment,” Stout said. I did. “So by midsummer, I hope it should settle down because it doesn’t last too long at warmer temperatures.”