The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, late last week, reported several cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the state following testing. The Department’s Office of the State Veterinarian, in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), is posting information on confirmed cases in wild and domestic birds on its website so that the public can be aware of where in Alaska the avian flu has been found.
Dr. Robert Gerlach, Alaska State Veterinarian said:
“We’ve now confirmed avian flu in several bald eagles on Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands, several Canada geese in the Anchorage area, and a Canada goose in Delta Junction. Additional wild birds were collected by USFWS over the weekend for testing.”
He advised that residents should still get out and enjoy the outdoors as we head into summer, but as a cautionary measure to avoid interacting with wild birds or allowing pets to interact with them. He asked that people keep an eye out and report any sick or dead birds that they see to the USFWS Alaska Sick/Dead Bird Hotline at 1-866-527-3358. The USFWS website has information on the behaviors to look for that would suggest the bird has avian flu.
Dr. Gerlach added:
“We appreciate that people across Alaska are watching for signs of avian flu and providing reports of what they observe, because DEC and our partners at ADF&G and USFWS can’t be everywhere.”
The Office of the State Veterinarian has also posted information on how to protect domestic birds from avian flu, and Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services has posted information and resources regarding human health concerns related to avian flu.