Moderator sends SOS/Dead bird @ my home

Re: H5N1 Avian Flu Forum moderator needs your help.

I found this dead bird outside my bedroom window today, February
13/06. I don't know know which species, but it does winter over. This
year has been an extremely mild winter in the area around Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. This is the first time in over 20-years that I've seen a
bird expire like this on my property. Could someone assist me in
identifying it? Thanks.



Last Update: Friday, October 21, 2005. 4:00pm (AEST)

The Government has banned live bird imports from Canada (Reuters)

Canada plays down bird flu scare
"The federal Government may impose a blanket ban on all live bird
imports after the discovery of Canadian pigeons with bird flu antibodies
in Melbourne.

Officials in Toronto say Canada met all international requirements for the
pigeons that were exported to Australia.

The pigeons had been tested before they left Canada, but Canadian labs
only look for the live virus, which is dangerous.

When the birds arrived in Australia they were found to have antibodies for
avian flu, but the spokesman said that antibodies were not dangerous.

Jim Clark from Canada's Food Inspection Agency says his organisation
does not have to test for antibodies if Canada has already been declared
free of the disease.

"In Canada's case we are free of the avian influenza virus and have been
since May 2004," Dr Clark said.

* The ban was later lifted. If this is a finch - then it's non-migratory.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1487872.htm

Edited by Rick

Well, if it were me, I would don my bio hazard make believe suit (mask, gloves, goggles.

I would place it in a garbage bag lined box.  I would get my exacto knife.  I would cut that little guy open ASAP. 

I would be looking for foamy lungs and spoungy guts.

I would, of course, still be outside.

Then I would wrap all up in trash bag. 

Run in house and take a bleach shower.

   Rick, I'm only half kidding.  I would do the above, but I couldn't recommend that you do it.  We will never know if we turn it over, if we could even find someone to take it.

 

The first what we should look for is the name of this bird

 

This may not be anything - better safe than sorry. Occam's Razor.

I've lived here over 20-years, my first time seeing a dead bird on the roof
of my sunroom or anywhere else in my backyard. Maybe it's just Bird
Cholera, poisoning, or it just expired from exhaustion from the heat
stress of the mildest winter in 20-years. Maybe we left too much bird
feed outside. Any tips on the name of the bird would be appreciated.

Start connecting the dots along the flyway map.


Edited by Rick

we should think about that also in winter time birds can mix

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~ishmnn/java/granule3/granule3.htm l

 

 

 Goldfinch we call this bird Szczygiel

   

Edited by Tomek

Tomek wrote: The first what we should look for is the name of this bird

you mean its not dead bird walking?...sorry i couldn't resist.

Rick, if you live in Toronto, you can contact Public Health Branch of the Ministry of Health. Ontario Ministry of Health used to have a dead bird surveillance program to monitor West Nile Virus but I am not sure if that program is still running during winter months. In anyway, it won't hurt to give them a call.

Rick let me get this straight...I'm not good at all at geography but I'm trying.  AND...I don't blame you for being nervous about a dead bird - WAY too many stories about sick birds falling from the sky...that little guy is too cute so it's sad, but BE CAREFUL!!!!

Birds that are sick are migrating East, so that seems they would come into Alaska, right?  If through Canada, then we could/should expect to see cases here in the US in Detroit area first?

Sorry, I've always been directionally challenged!  Not getting any better at it

 

 

Wouldn't we be seeing a lot more dead?  Like in Hundreds?

If through S. America, then why the emergence in Italy...isn't that the wrong direction?  I'm lost...

Being in AZ I don't think the virus has a very good chance of survival here in the summer.  I don't think I've ever been happy to live in 118 heat, until now!  Maybe it'll hit 122 again....

 I wonder if they could have been on the  Asia flyways, met up with birds in Alaska, migrated  to South America, and are now coming  back north, to summer up here in USA and Canada?

I don't know how long a bird has BF before it dies, and are some of the larger birds carriers? or are any  of them carriers? Do they all die right away?

For that matter what birds get this? Swans, chickens, crows,.....?

I'm fairly certain this wasn't West Nile virus. Better safe than sorry. I prefer
a lab to guessing or a crystal ball.

"Birds have a flu season just like humans do every year. Now if it
were high-pathogen, that would be a different story," he said.

http://english.epochtimes.com/news/5-10-31/33980.html




Bird Flu Detected in Canada
Tuesday, November 01, 2005

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,174068,00.html

TORONTO — Nearly three dozen wild ducks have tested positive for the
H5 bird flu (search) virus in Canada, officials reported Monday, but they
said it was unlikely to be the strain blamed for more than 60 human
deaths in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Jim Clark of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (search) said it
would take at least a week to determine whether the flu found in 33
ducks from the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba was the deadly H5N1
(search) strain that has ravaged Asian poultry farms.
But it was unlikely to be the same strain because none of the wild ducks
tested was ill, he said at a news conference.

-------

Why is Canada not releasing H5 wild birds lab results?

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

For Americans, it can’t be the most reassuring way to celebrate the
Thanksgiving holiday.

There’s the worry about the troops in Iraq and the worry they may not
know about, originating from the closer range of their next door
neighbour.

Canada has still not released the results from H5 wild birds swabbed last
August as part of a Canadian banding study.

Three months later, preliminary tests show that a strain of H5 bird flu has
been found in a duck farm in British Colombia’s Fraser Valley.

B.C. government officials say they are not sure what strain of the H5 avian
flu was found in the ducks.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/cover112205h.htm
------

* THEY CONCLUDED IT WAS A LOW-PATHOGENIC VARIETY IN DEC/06

Latest Information - July 21, 2004 -

This area is a couple hours drive from the picture of the dead bird.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency quarantined a farm in the Niagara

region on July 20, 2004,

after 60 ducks were found dead on the premises.

This was a precautionary measure intended to limit movement on or off

the farm until testing could determine if the birds were affected by avian

influenza. The quarantine was lifted on July 21, 2004, after test results

indicated that the bird deaths were not related to avian influenza.



* I couldn't find any information about the cause of death, maybe
someone else can. I need some sleep.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/av flu/situatione.shtml

Edited by Rick

Local public health officials were not interested in my concerns. So I have the
bird on ice tell I plan my next move.

Rick,
Who did you contact to try to have the dead bird tested?

2005/Canada

Edited by Rick