Director and Public Health Nurse Anne Marie Fleming would like to share safety tips to help residents protect their domestic flock from contracting Avian Influenza. 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or “Bird Flu,” is a highly contagious and often deadly respiratory disease affecting poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, and geese. Most poultry will die within days of exposure to HPAI. While other animals may attract HPAI, human infection is rare. 

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) recently detected HPAI in deceased birds found in the Town of Plymouth. Preliminary positive cases are also being reported at other locations across the state. While there have been no reports of dead birds or birds displaying signs consistent with contracting HPAI, the North Attleborough Health Department would like to share the following safety tips courtesy of the MDAR: 

• Avoid contact with wild birds or handling any dead birds or birds showing signs of HPAI. Infected birds may die suddenly, have decreased energy, decreased appetite, decreased egg production; soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling of the head, comb, eyelids, wattles, or hocks; nasal discharge, snicking, coughing, or sneezing; uncoordinated gait; or diarrhea.   
• Never introduce adult birds into an established flock unless they are isolated for 30 days isolation and/or are tested clean of disease. 
• Do not house different species together (e.g., chickens with turkeys or waterfowl). 
• Keep your birds in a safe environment by confining them to an indoor area (covered coop or outbuilding). 
• Before entering poultry areas, clean and disinfect all equipment, shoes, clothes, and vehicles. Remove dirt and manure from surfaces before disinfection.  
• Keep insects and animals like pets, rodents, and wild animals, especially wild birds, out of the chicken coop and feed. 
• Do not enter your poultry areas or handle your birds or equipment after hunting, fishing, or coming in contact with any other birds or areas that wild birds frequent. 
• Pets should always be kept away from wildlife. Cats are highly susceptible to HPAI and may die from an infection. Cat owners in affected areas should keep their pets indoors to prevent them from being exposed to infected wildlife. 

Hunting Safety 

• Although dogs generally face a low risk of contracting HPAI, you should use your best judgment when using hunting dogs for retrievals. Keep dogs away from birds that look sick or have been found dead. 
• Hunters should avoid handling any birds that appear sick or have been found dead.  
• While eating wild game meat is generally considered safe, licensed hunters can minimize risk from wildlife diseases by following best practices when handling and processing game.    

HPAI Reporting and Response Information:  

Community members are asked to report sick, dead, or dying domestic or wild birds.  

• Reporting domestic birds: the public should report sick or dead poultry by calling MDAR’s Division of Animal Health at 617-626-1795 or online at https://www.mass.gov/forms/poultry-disease-reporting-form.  
• Reporting wild birds: the public should report observations of any sick, injured, or deceased seabirds. For other species of wild birds, such as songbirds, only report observations of 5 or more birds found at a single location. The public can report observations using this simple webform at mass.gov/reportbirds. 

For more information regarding the disease, please visit MDAR’s Avian Influenza webpage. 

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