April 15, 2007
The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and YKHC's Office of Environmental Health and Engineering (OEHE) will be partnering to collect samples from migratory birds again this year. They are looking for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in migratory birds arriving on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta throughout the spring hunting season.
The same 10 villages as last year were selected by USFWS to conduct sampling. They were chosen based on their geographical location and the species of birds that hunters typically collect for subsistence in those villages. In the villages selected for sampling, hunters are asked to bring subsistence-caught birds to their village testing manager. The manager will swab each bird, and the bird will be returned to the hunter. The goal is to collect at least 300 samples from each of the villages. The 10 villages selected for the study are Chefornak, Eek, Hooper Bay, Kipnuk, Kotlik, Kwethluk, Mekoryuk, Pilot Station, Toksook Bay and Quinhagak.
USFWS identified six species they are most interested in collecting samples from. The species were selected primarily because those birds will be traveling through an area known to have had Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, H5N1 detected in the local domestic birds. The species of birds identified as priority species include: Tundra Swan, Lesser Snow Goose, Black Brant, Pintail, Long-tailed Duck, and King Eider.
"We appreciate all the support we received last year. This is an opportunity once again for subsistence hunters to play a key role in an important research project, and we ask that everyone who has the opportunity to contribute to please help out," said Brian Lefferts, Field Environmental Health Officer for YKHC OEHE. "The results are important to the residents of the YK Delta, to Alaska, and the world."
"People have no reason to fear hunting and eating any subsistence birds this year. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 has not been detected in the YK Delta or elsewhere in North America," Lefferts said, "It's also important to remember that this is a bird flu, not a human flu. Under most conditions, it is very difficult for people to get sick from bird flu, and there are no known cases of people contracting H5N1 from wild birds."
YKHC will be providing regular updates to the people of the YK Delta about this surveillance effort, including prompt notification of any positive identification of the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus.
Still, as with all game, it's always good to use safe handling procedures.
