State advises Kansas goose hunters to take precautions because of bird flu
State officials are warning goose hunters to take extra precautions when hunting this spring.
Ducks, geese and shorebirds can carry avian influenza, or bird flu, which can infect domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys and pheasants, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks said in a news release.
Light goose hunters are likely to encounter these wild birds. They are asked to “engage in best practices to minimize inadvertent spread of the virus that can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in domestic poultry flocks,” according to the news release.
Hunters are advised to wear nitrile gloves while handling or cleaning wild birds, and to wash their hands and arms thoroughly afterward. A change of clothes and shoes is also recommended, since the flu can be “transmitted onto clothing, shoes and equipment containing waterfowl residues,” according to the release.
Hunters are also asked to not move sick or dead birds if they are found.
The Sedgwick County Zoo announced the temporary closure of some of its bird exhibits on March 9 after a positive case of the avian flu was detected in Kansas.
The release says “no human cases of these Avian Influenza viruses have been detected in the United States.”
“Bird flu infections among people are rare,” the CDC website says.
For more information, visit agriculture.ks.gov or call 833-765-2006.