Environmentalists blow up NJDEP call to let dead vultures rot in the wild

Sometimes all you need is a seemingly harmless advertisement. A government agency that can let the public know that there is a serious problem with the bureaucracy. If COVID has taught us anything, it is that we need to take great care of ourselves. That’s it.

DEP is New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites Facebook Posted page Lafayette part of the Sussex Blatch Trail scheduled advisory It was closed for further notice as the US Department of Agriculture confirmed that more than 100 black vultures had died on that portion of the trail due to bird flu (bird flu).

“DEP Fish and Wildlife of New Jersey left dead birds for on-site digestion because rough terrain created access problems and there was a lack of qualified personnel in the state to handle infected birds. “Improper handling may lead to further spread of disease.”

Officials reassured the public that “the risk of avian flu being transmitted to humans is very low” and that “the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife Service are continuing to monitor the situation.”

Back in April, CDC reported the first human case of avian influenza in the United States in a man from Colorado who has since recovered. Officials say the risk to humans of contracting the virus is considered “low.”

“This H5-positive human case does not change our human health risk assessment,” the CDC said in an online date. Signals that may increase public health risk include multiple reports of H5N1 virus transmission to humans from exposure to birds or The CDC is also monitoring the H5N1 virus for genetic changes associated with adaptation to mammals, and the CDC is working to create vaccines for people if needed. We are taking regular preparedness and precautionary measures, including existing candidate vaccine viruses that can be used for

CDC recommendations continued. “CDC has been monitoring illness in people exposed to birds infected with the H5N1 virus since these outbreaks were detected in U.S. wild birds and poultry in late 2021 and 2022. Found in wild birds in 32 states. “

Here in New Jersey, tdecision of a state agency to rot diseased bird carcasses “In situ” has been uniformly condemned by environmentalists, including former DEP officials, for the risk of further infecting wildlife coming into contact with infected corpses. The world is seeing a troubling surge in wild birds, and it comes at a time of concern about potential mutations, as we saw with COVID.

Jeff Tittel, executive director of the Sierra Club of New Jersey for more than 20 years, said of the NJDEP response: It was “shocking”.

“Keeping these birds rotting allows them to spread to other birds, creating odors and contamination as they rot. It’s just a mistake,” Titter said. “I think this is emblematic of all the DEP’s problems when it comes to budgets, which, thanks to years of cutbacks, do not have enough qualified staff to collect and properly dispose of these dead birds. increase.”

Titel continued. “New Jersey now has the largest budget in state history in fares. DEP budgets are sluggish There are far fewer real dollars than there were 30 years ago. If you can’t pick up these contaminated dead birds, how are you going to get the money to deal with floods or clean up toxic waste sites?

Former DEP official and whistleblower Bill Wolfe said the choice to let contaminated vultures rot in the wild is rooted in a bipartisan move back to the Florio government to make the DEP more self-centered. said. Maintain the income generated by permitting and facilitating commercial activity.

“DEP Fish and Wildlife has plenty of staff available to facilitate hunting and logging of national lands (wildlife management areas), but isn’t that enough to dispose of dead birds? Just kidding. eh?” said Wolfe. “This is another example of how DEP budget cuts, misplaced priorities stemming from revenue-generating activities such as hunting and fishing, and lack of leadership at the top directly threaten public health and healthy ecosystems. An example.”

B.no vultures Slightly smaller than a turkey vulture, it has a massive five-foot wingspan. They play an important role in a society where traffic accidents are very common. early this month, Newsweek Another large bird flu outbreak reported Killed 700 Cinereous Vultures in Georgia’s Noah’s Ark Game Sanctuary ranks first in the United States for poultry that is particularly susceptible to viruses.

News outlets have seen that the sanctuary has been quarantined by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. said. “We are in the containment phase. However, our national agency partners have and will continue to lead cleanup and sanitization. and hygiene.”

According to the USDA fact sheet, the United States has “A highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epidemic. The disease primarily kills poultry (chickens and turkeys), but can affect more than 50 species of wild birds. “

Federal agencies are asking property owners who find dead wild birds to “call the state wildlife service or state health department so they can collect and test the HPAI.”

of USDA Factsheet Not a warner, but informative.

“If local authorities have instructed you to dispose of a bird carcass (body), wear disposable gloves and pick it up,” the USDA warns. “If you don’t have gloves, turn the plastic bag inside out and pick up the carcass. Double bag the carcass and dispose of it in a regular trash can.” People are less likely to get sick from handling it.”

The USDA tip sheet continues. “However, if you experience flu-like symptoms or illness within 10 days of handling a sick or dead bird, you should seek medical attention. Always wash clothing in hot water and disinfect shoes after handling dead wild birds, as they spread easily on surfaces.To disinfect shoes, use one of the following methods: ƒ Water 10 Soak the shoes in the solution for 10 minutes, the mixture will be good for 7 days ƒ Commercial benzalkonium chloride-based disinfectants (such as Lysol* spray or similar product) ) on the shoes and let dry.

Back in 2012, University of Michigan “Climate change could increase levels of avian flu in wild birds,” released a study that predicted, Delaware Bay said “The crossover of many intercontinental migrating bird species could result not only in an increase in bird infection rates, but also spawn new subtypes of influenza viruses among wild bird populations in North America. .

A University of Michigan study found, “Although bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans, sporadic human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred. Since 2003, for example, according to the World Health Organization, there have been More than 600 human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A H5N1 have been reported worldwide, including more than 300 deaths.”

Our black bear may be the proverbial canary in the coal mine.

May issue headline Nature It was as simple as it was cool.

“Why an unprecedented avian flu outbreak sweeping the world worries scientists – wild bird outbreaks pose significant risks to vulnerable species, are difficult to contain, and reduce the opportunity for the virus to spread to people.” increase.”

Nature writer Britney Miller said,A highly contagious and deadly strain of avian influenza virus has infected tens of millions of poultry in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America…. It has caused a near number of incidents. Over 77 million birds have been culled to limit the spread of the virus. Viruses most often cause severe illness and death in chickens. Non-poultry birds, such as wild birds, also died in his 2,600 outbreaks of his 400,000. This is double the number reported for the last big wave of 2016-17. “

In short, “Researchers say the virus appears to be spreading more easily in wild birds than ever before, making outbreaks particularly difficult to contain, and scientists say high levels in bird populations. I am concerned that with the virus circulating, it means there are more opportunities for people to be affected.”

exactly.

Once that big wing-span bird is dead, the time for feel-good press releases and photo ops is over. NJDEP is Insufficient personnel to handle infected birds.

If necessary, it may be time to train the National Guard on this apparent present danger. .

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