‘There’s no treatment’: Anchorage bird rescue faces avian influenza – Alaska Public Media

The Chook Remedy and Studying Middle in Anchorage is one of some hen rehabilitation facilities within the state nonetheless accepting birds because the avian flu circulates.

Now, together with eagles with damaged wings and orphaned child geese, the middle — typically referred to as Chook TLC — can be getting birds contaminated with the extremely pathogenic virus.

Workers have arrange a tent within the storage the place they take birds that arrive with signs — something from respiratory issues to extreme neurological signs, like seizures. Some eagles have arrived with such unhealthy tremors they’re unable to face.

“After they’re that far alongside within the illness, there’s no therapy,” mentioned Dr. Karen Higgs. “So we offer humane euthanasia for them.”

This pressure of hen flu is extraordinarily contagious and may unfold from hen to hen by saliva or feces. Workers and volunteers at Chook TLC change their footwear and garments always and wash them with bleach. They’ve positioned tarps over the tops of cages to guard their birds from wild birds flying overhead. Higgs met with volunteers on Zoom to elucidate the brand new protocol.

“It has taken what we thought can be a enjoyable summer season and turned it into fairly a problem,” Higgs mentioned.

Chook TLC has had a bunch of ducklings, an grownup Canada goose and a bald eagle from Anchorage take a look at optimistic for hen flu. They’ve additionally been despatched eagles from Dutch Harbor and Valdez.

“But it surely takes about two weeks for us to get take a look at outcomes, so we don’t know they’re optimistic till they’re gone,” Higgs mentioned.

Higgs mentioned, due to their protocols, they haven’t had any unfold of hen flu inside the middle. She mentioned the truth that the primary instances had been detected within the Decrease 48 gave them time to arrange. A number of different facilities within the state — just like the Alaska Raptor Middle in Sitka — briefly stopped hen rescue and rehabilitation altogether because the hen flu unfold.

With the final main hen flu outbreak in 2014-2015, chickens and turkeys had been hit the toughest. However this 12 months, the brand new pressure can be affecting eagles, geese, geese and different wild birds.

“This pressure of this virus may be very totally different, in the truth that it’s having very vital mortality in wild birds,” mentioned state veterinarian Dr. Robert Gerlach. “We haven’t seen that previously,” 

He mentioned out of greater than 210 lifeless birds the state has examined for hen flu, 1 / 4 of them have examined optimistic.

This outbreak additionally might last more than the 2014-2015 one did. Gerlach mentioned, that point, officers had stopped detecting instances by early July. Scorching climate possible helped.

However the truth that Alaska has wild birds testing optimistic might preserve the flu spreading longer.

“This state is colder and wetter than states within the Decrease 48,” Gerlach mentioned. “So will we see the virus depart or will we see it proceed to flow into within the hen populations right here by the summer season? As a result of the large concern then is then, within the fall, when these birds fly south, will they be reintroducing this virus again into resident hen populations?”

Gerlach mentioned info from the general public will probably be key to understanding hen flu because it continues to unfold. Individuals who see sick or injured birds can name the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s hotline at 866-527-3358.

“Their hotline has simply been ringing off the hook,” Gerlach mentioned. “Usually they’d simply have one individual — now they’ve a number of individuals answering calls on there.”

Higgs, at Chook TLC, mentioned the widespread use of the hotline could have some sudden advantages. She mentioned they’ve had round 40 fewer birds introduced on this spring than final spring. She hopes, possibly, individuals are in search of extra recommendation earlier than making an attempt to assist a hen that may not want it.

“I feel all people, hopefully, beneficial properties an appreciation for seeing the wild birds on the market, and individuals are watching them extra intently,” she mentioned. “But it surely’s been actually arduous. It’s arduous on our volunteers, it’s arduous on us, to see these birds so sick.”

Higgs mentioned, so long as it’s secure for the opposite birds of their care, Chook TLC will preserve taking in sick birds and offering extra knowledge to the state.

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