MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the extension of a contract with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) allowing for the safe disposal of dead wild birds as bird flu cases continue to spread in the region.
Under the contract, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provides Maryland with specialized technicians trained to safely eliminate and remove sick or dead wild birds that could be spreading Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The $30,000 expansion, announced January 17, will allow for additional staff to assist in dead bird disposal through September.
The announcement comes as bird flu detections continue to spring up on Delmarva. As of Friday, the virus has been at least presumptively detected in seven Delmarva counties: Kent, Sussex (DE), Caroline, Dorchester, Worcester, Queen Anne’s (MD), and Accomack (VA).
DNR says anyone who sees sick or dead birds should not touch them or try to move them. Instead, Marylanders are asked to report them to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at 1-877-463-6497 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Those with phone numbers outside Maryland should call 410-349-8055.
“Avian influenza, often called “bird flu,” is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds, and its presence should be considered endemic throughout Maryland’s wild bird populations, especially waterfowl and raptors,” DNR said Friday. “Risk to human health is considered low, but people who may handle or encounter wild birds should take precautions to help limit the spread of this virus.”
Hunters are reminded not to harvest obviously sick birds and practice proper hygiene. Marylanders with bird feeders can continue to fill feeders during the winter, DNR says, as songbirds are at a very low risk for carrying or spreading H5N1.
Though risk to humans remains low, H5N1 poses serious risks to both commercial and backyard poultry flocks. More information on bird flu and how to minimize the risk to domestic poultry through exposure to wild birds can be found here.
