Take precautions while dealing with avian flu

Take precautions while dealing with avian fl u

You may already be aware that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been found in wildlife and backyard poultry and has caused illness in one person in Louisiana.

These are some things everyone should keep in mind:

•฀If฀you฀have฀any฀sick฀or฀ dead wildlife such as migratory waterfowl or other wild birds, you should contact the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at 225-765-2800.

•฀ Anyone฀ with฀ sick฀ or฀ dead poultry or farm raised waterfowl should not touch them and contact the Louisiana Department of Agriculture Poultry Diagnostic Laboratory at 318-927-3441.

•฀ Do฀ not฀ bring฀ sick฀ or฀ dead birds to the LSU Ag-Center Extension offices.

We are not allowed to accept any birds or conduct site visits for sick or dead birds related to this outbreak.

Keep in mind HPAI can infect people. Everyone is urged to:

•฀ Protect฀ your฀ families฀ and neighbors by testing sick or dead birds. Testing prevents outbreaks that can affect other poultry and wildlife populations.

•฀If฀a฀positive฀test฀occurs฀ the LSU AgCenter can help them mitigate the risk of it happening again. If tests are negative, we can work to find the cause and ultimately towards prevention.