The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is causing mortalities in wild birds, especially in Southwest Louisiana. State Wildlife Veterinarian Jonathan Roberts says the virus affects various species differently.
“Some waterfowl will manifest very mild clinical signs, if any at all. It’ll be a carrier. While if you look at geese, it does tend to cause severe clinical disease in geese,” Roberts said.
The virus can also occasionally transfer to mammals, including domestic cats and dogs, and in rare cases, humans. Health officials consider this strain of the virus to be a minimal threat to humans, but Roberts says if you find sick or dead wild birds, contact the LDWF to remove them safely.
“Don’t handle sick or dead birds. Keep wild birds away from domestic poultry and pets. If they have any clothing or objects to come in contact with wild birds, to wash that,” Roberts advised.
