Avian, or bird, flu continues to spread across the United States, mostly at poultry and cattle farms. There have been at least 66 confirmed cases in humans, and one person died earlier this month.
Poultry farmers and people with backyard flocks can protect their animals and themselves by limiting exposure to wild birds.
Migratory birds, like geese and ducks, tend to be hosts for bird flu. When they travel north, as they’re doing now, they can shed the virus. And your shoes might become contaminated with their droppings, said Mike Persia, a professor at Virginia Tech in the school of animal sciences.
“My recommendation, for even small or backyard producers, is keep a pair of shoes out by your chickens,” said Persia. “And just change your shoes really quickly before you go into your chicken area.”
For further protection, he suggested wearing a change of clothes and a hat when feeding animals. If chickens have an outdoor coop, they might be more vulnerable. Persia recommended keeping food and water for poultry indoors to prevent contamination from wild birds that may be in the area.
Dairy cattle and other mammals can also become infected. So Persia suggested keeping poultry at least 10 feet away from other livestock.
“If you’re concerned about their health, you can keep them indoors,” Persia said.
Testing on migratory birds has shown that avian flu is fairly widespread now among wild birds. Over the next couple of months, as birds make their way north, the virus could continue to spread to livestock. Once weather warms, Persia is hoping to see numbers decrease.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
