What should you do if you find a dead bird amid bird flu concerns?

Carolyn Law didn’t think much of it when a snow goose landed in the backyard of her Richmond, B.C., home on Halloween.

But hours later, he had barely moved. Then he started shaking his head repeatedly. About eight hours after first seeing the bird, it rolled over, began convulsing, and died.

“It was actually a pretty sad thing to see, it was really scary,” Law said.

Law said he called the wildlife rescue group and was told the symptoms were indicative of bird flu rather than a physical injury, but that could not be confirmed without testing.

Encounters like Law’s have come under renewed scrutiny after a BC teenager tested positive for bird flu in the first possible case of human infection in Canada. The patient’s condition is critical.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. The source of the infection is unclear, Bonnie Henry said at a news conference Tuesday.

Experts and health officials say the risk of transmitting the H5N1 strain of bird flu to humans remains low, but people should avoid contact with sick or dead birds.

“People who work with animals or in animal-contaminated environments should take precautions, including the use of other personal protective measures, to reduce the risk of contracting or spreading respiratory infectious diseases,” Health Canada said in a statement. he said.

Concerns about bird flu have increased in recent years; The virus resulted in the culling of millions of poultry in North America.

The number of infections among commercial flocks has soared in B.C. in recent weeks as migratory birds fly south for the winter. It rose above 20.

Brian Ward, an infectious diseases microbiologist at McGill University, said he couldn’t speculate about whether the goose in Law’s backyard had the flu, but “if there are increasing numbers of dead ducks and geese, then there’s a very good chance they’re also infected with the highly pathogenic bird flu.” dead.”

Ward said it’s concerning that officials aren’t sure how the sick BC teenager caught H5N1, while Henry said the teen had no known connection to poultry farms.

But Ward said human infection in Canada is “almost inevitable,” given the spread of the disease in North America and Europe in recent years. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says there have been 46 human cases of bird flu in the United States, although there is no known human-to-human spread.

Health Canada said in a statement that current domestic evidence shows “the risk to the public remains low.”

“There has been no evidence of sustained spread of the virus from person to person in any of the cases detected globally to date,” the ministry said. “Avian influenza A (H5N1) infection in humans is rare and usually occurs after close contact with infected birds or highly contaminated environments.”

The agency’s website states that people cannot become infected by eating well-cooked poultry, eggs or meat.

Henry said the only other case in Canada was recorded in Alberta in 2014, possibly in a person who contracted the virus while traveling in China.

But Henry acknowledged the risk posed by wild birds.

“One of the important things we need to do now is recognize that this virus is circulating primarily among wild boars, geese and ducks, and if you’ve been in contact with sick birds or dead birds, make sure you don’t touch them directly (and) keep pets away from them,” he said in Ontario. He also stated that a dog became infected after biting a dead bird.

Henry said people can become infected by “inhaling the virus as aerosols, droplets that enter the eyes, back of the throat, nose or deep into the lungs.”

“There are very few viruses that can be transmitted from person to person, so in some ways that’s reassuring because it doesn’t seem to spread easily among people who are infected, but it also causes very serious disease, especially in young people,” he said.

Henry said the BC teen’s infection likely occurred due to exposure to a sick animal or something in the environment, but there’s a “real possibility” they’ll never be able to determine the source.

People should report dead or sick poultry or livestock to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency animal health office, and wild bird encounters should be reported to the BC Wild Bird Fatalities Hotline, his office said Tuesday.

It was stated that anyone exposed to sick or dead birds or in contact with farms where bird flu has been confirmed should be alert for flu-like symptoms.

“If symptoms occur within 10 days of exposure to sick or dead animals, tell your healthcare provider that you have been in contact with sick animals and are concerned about bird flu,” the statement said. “This will help them give you appropriate advice on testing and treatment. Stay home and away from others for as long as you have symptoms.”

Ward also advised people who come across a dead bird to call authorities rather than dispose of the bird themselves.

“But if it’s on your property and you want to dispose of it, then it certainly makes sense to wear a mask and gloves, put it in a plastic bag as soon as possible, and do your best to avoid aerosols,” he said, noting that H5N1 is a respiratory virus.

Law said his biggest concern was about his dog, which came within a few feet of the dying goose.

“We didn’t want to get close,” he said.

However, later that night, her husband took matters into his own hands.

Wearing gloves and a mask, Law double-bagged the dead bird and placed it in the trash can. “I thought that was a little rude, but I guess that’s what you would do,” Law said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.