- Avoid contact with sick or dead birds and animals.
- Report to veterinary authorities if you see significant numbers of sick or dead birds and animals.
- Wild birds can carry the avian flu virus without showing any symptoms and before an epidemic is detected in the area.
- Avian flu can be transmitted between different species (e.g. from poultry to pigs, cats, dogs) - ducks can become infected with avian flu without showing any symptoms, and then transmit it to chickens.
- If cats show breathing problems or nasal discharge, a veterinarian should be consulted.
- The avian flu virus can be transmitted through contact with poultry, and their droppings, feathers, intestines and blood.
- Wash hands with water and soap regularly and especially after handling animals and cleaning their litter boxes or coming in contact with blood, faeces or saliva.
- It is very important to minimize contact with poultry and wild birds.
- Do not feed any water birds.
- Make sure contact between cats and wild birds or poultry (or their faeces) is avoided and/or keep cats inside.
- If cats bring a sick or dead bird inside the house, put on plastic gloves and dispense of the bird in plastic bags for collection by local veterinary animal handlers. Do not touch your face until you have washed you hands thoroughly.
- Do not swim in water (such as lakes or rivers) used by wild birds.
- The greatest risk of infection is through the handling and slaughtering of live infected poultry.
- Children are particularly vulnerable ? keep them away from poultry and do not allow them to pick up feathers or eggs.
- Avian flu can enter your farm through infected droppings brought in from the outside by shoes, dirty cages and wheels (of bicycles, cars, etc.).
- Disinfect (e.g. with bleach 2-3 %) cages or other hardware with which sick animals have been transported or been in contact with.
- Wash animal blankets with soap or any other commercial detergent.
- Wear rubber or disposable latex gloves while handling and cleaning game, wash hands with soap and water (or with alcohol-based hand products if the hands are not visibly soiled), and thoroughly clean knives, equipment and surfaces that come in contact with game.
- Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling or cleaning birds.
- Cook all game meat thoroughly (at least to 165° F) to kill disease organisms and
parasites.
If poultry shows the following signs, it may have avian influenza:
- lack of coordination (including inability to walk and stand)
- ruffled feathers
- difficulty in breathing
- loss of appetite
- depression and droopiness
- bluish colouring of wattles and comb
- edema and swelling of head, eyelids, comb, wattles, hocks
- watery diarrhoea
- small haemorrhages (most visible on feet and shanks)
- signs of blood in nose discharge
- sudden fall in egg production
- eggs with soft shells
FAO has prepared these messages for different categories of people ? ranging from poultry keepers, veterinarians and culling teams to the general public. The address how to reduce the risk of animal to animal infections as well as infections from animals to humans.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload//207623/FAO_HPAI_messages.pdf
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu): Agricultural and Wildlife Considerations
An excellent website including definitions, hosts, clinical features (symptoms), diagnosis, prevention, outbreak control, news, guidelines, selected reading, and links. There is no treatment for highly pathenogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry at this time.
Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/biofacts/avflu.html
Preparing for Highly Pathenogenic Influenza 60 pages
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/200354/HPAI_manual.pdf
Prevention and Control of Avian Flu in Small Scale Poultry 36 pages
A guide for paraprofessionals. This is an excellent guide written in simple terms with illustrations. Also available in Spanish, French, Russian, and Kyrgystan.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
http://www.fao.org/AG/AGAInfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/avian_recomm.html
Investigating sick or dead wild bird events serves as an effective tool for the early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza. If you notice sick or dead birds, please contact your local USDA Wildlife Services office at 1-866-4-USDA-WS.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/avian_influenza/avian_influenza_report-birds.shtml
Biosecurity for the Birds
Biosecurity for the Birds informs bird and poultry owners about the signs of serious poultry diseases, asks them to report sick birds and gives them information on practicing backyard biosecurity to keep their birds safe and healthy.
For additional information or to report sick birds in the United States, bird and poultry owners can contact their veterinarian, a local extension agent, the state veterinarian or their federal area veterinarian toll-free at (1-866-536-7593) or visit (www.aphis.usda.gov/vs).
United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/birdbiosecurity/hpai.html
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/birdbiosecurity/brochures.html resources in english and spanish
USDA Launches Campaign To Educate Pet Owners About Bird Diseases
1 page
According to the U.S. census, birds are the third most popular pet in the
United States behind cats and dogs, beating out hamsters, fish, and reptiles. While
most bird owners take great care to look out for the well-being of their animals,
many are not aware of how susceptible their pets and backyard flocks, such as pigeons
and chickens, are to illnesses such as exotic Newcastle disease (END) and avian
influenza (AI).
United States Department of Agriculture Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/birdbiosecurity/Downloads/PDF/naps_bio_bird1.pdf
H5N1 in Cats
Recommendations for areas where H5N1 HPAI has been diagnosed or is suspected in poultry or wild birds:
- Report to the local veterinary authority any evidence of significant bird mortality
both wild and domestic.
-
Be especially vigilant for any dead or sick cats and report such findings to the
local vet.
-
Make sure contact between cats and wild birds or poultry (or their faeces) is avoided
and/or keep cats inside.
- If cats bring a sick or dead bird inside the house, put
on plastic gloves and dispense of the bird in plastic bags for collection by local
veterinary animal handlers.
- Keep stray cats outside the house and avoid contact with them.
-
If cats show breathing problems or nasal discharge, a veterinarian should be consulted.
-
Do not touch or handle any sick-looking or dead cat (or other animal) and report
to the authorities.
-
Wash hands with water and soap regularly and especially after handling animals and
cleaning their litter boxes or coming in contact with faeces or saliva.
-
Dogs can only be taken outside the premises if kept restraint.
-
Do not feed any water birds.
-
Disinfect (e.g. with bleach 2-3 %) cages or other hardware with which sick animals
have been transported or been in contact with.
-
Wash animal blankets with soap or any other commercial detergent.
Food and Agriculture Department of the United Nations
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/avian_cats.html
General Pest Management
237 pages
Michigan State University Extension Pesticide Safety
Education
http://www.pested.msu.edu/Resources/bulletins
also available in Spanish
Rodent Control
188 pages
Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management
http://icwdm.org/handbook/index.asp
Cockroaches and Their Management 18 pages
University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural
Science
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IG/IG08200.pdf
Ants 28 pages
University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural
Science
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IG/IG08000.pdf