Officials from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and public health agencies are reminding waterfowl hunters to be careful when handling wild birds during hunting season.
There haven’t been any new highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infections in wild birds in North Carolina since March, officials say birds that migrated to other states and Canada during the spring and summer, where HPAI was present, are returning to the state for the winter.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission says some asymptomatic, hunter-harvested waterfowl tested positive for HPAI in March, and some deaths in wild birds were identified.
The risk of human infection is low, but wildlife officials say rare instances have occurred in people who handled diseased birds.
Officials with the NC Department of Health and Human Services say there are several things people can do to prevent disease spread while hunting.
They include not harvesting or handling wild birds that are obviously sick; hand washing with soap and water after handling game or use an alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are not available; dressing game birds in the field whenever possible; and wearing disposable gloves.
DHHS officials also suggest that hunters seek medical care if they experience flu-like symptoms after having close contact with a potentially infected bird, and to get a seasonal flu vaccine every year.
