HPAI Update: More positives detected in Mississippi, Louisiana birds – Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper

BROOKHAVEN — US Division of Agriculture Animal Plant Well being Inspection Service confirmed extra positives of Extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) this week. Yet another constructive was present in Mississippi and 6 extra positives have been present in Louisiana. 

Mississippi thus far has detected 112 instances of HPAI whereas Louisiana has 54 detections. The most recent detection in Mississippi was a wild Canada Goose which was discovered useless. 

Louisiana’s positives embody a snow goose in Calcasieu Parish, snow goose in Ouachita, three snow geese and a Ross’s goose in Richland Parish and two snow geese and a Ross’s goose in Morehouse Parish. All of Louisiana’s positives have been submitted via the Louisiana Division of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Illness Examine as being discovered useless. 

HPAI is very contagious and may be lethal to each wild birds and poultry. Mississippi had one lethal outbreak of HPAI in a business broiler in Lawrence County the place 34,400 birds have been impacted by the illness. The Middle for Illness Management reviews geese may be contaminated and but present no indicators of the illness. 

Mississippi Division of Wildlife and Fisheries Small Sport Biologist Rick Hamrick mentioned it’s doable quail may catch HPAI however it could be arduous to detect. 

“It’s unsure how vital it may doubtlessly be at a inhabitants degree,” he mentioned. “It might even be more durable to determine instances in these birds that aren’t as extremely seen, however so far it hasn’t gave the impression to be a significant drawback for quail.”

HPAI signs seen in Canada Geese embody swimming in circles, twisted necks and tremors. APHIS states some raptor species seem like weak to HPAI. It’s a illness unfold by oral and fecal secretions into the atmosphere. Extra instances could possibly be detected as waterfowl proceed emigrate. 

Listed here are security precautions hunters can take 

Waterfowl Hunters: 

• Solely harvest birds that act and look wholesome. 
• Don’t eat, drink, or smoke whereas dealing with harvested birds. 
• Course of harvested birds open air or in a well-ventilated space. 
• Put on disposable gloves whereas processing harvested birds. 
• Wash palms, utensils, and work surfaces earlier than and after processing birds, in addition to earlier than and after dealing with raw meat. 
• Hold harvested birds cool till processed, then refrigerate, freeze, or cook dinner to an inner temperature of 165 levels. 

Disposing of chook carcasses:  

• Useless birds shouldn’t be dealt with with naked palms. Preserve a bodily barrier. 
• To gather or take away useless birds from the atmosphere: 

• Decide up the chook with doubled plastic luggage which have been turned inside out. 
• Then, invert and seal the doubled plastic bag with the chook inside. 

• To eliminate the chook: 

• Place the bag in family rubbish. 
• As a substitute, bury the useless chook (no bag) by dealing with the chook with a shovel. 

• Wash palms completely with cleaning soap and water.