April 15, 2008
Subsistence hunters asked to assist Delta's Avian Flu surveillance effort
by Kelsey Hustedt, YKHC Environmental Health Officer
& YKHC Public Relations
The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and YKHC's Office of Environmental Health and Engineering (OEHE) will collaborate for the third consecutive year to screen for the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza in migratory birds arriving on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta this spring.
The goal is to collect 3,000 samples throughout the spring subsistence hunting season. Ten villages have been selected for the study: Chefornak, Eek, Hooper Bay, Kipnuk, Kotlik, Kwethluk, Mekoryuk, Pilot Station, Toksook Bay and Quinhagak. The villages were chosen for a second year based on their geological location and the species of birds typically hunted for subsistence.
The USFWS identified 29 priority species they are most interested in obtaining samples from. The species were selected based on their migratory patterns traveling through areas known to have Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza detected in domesticated birds.
Hunters in the selected villages are asked to bring subsistence-caught birds to their designated village testing manager. Two swabs will be taken from each bird and then returned to the hunter. For participating in the surveillance effort, two 12-gauge shotgun shells will be given for each bird sampled.
There have been no cases of the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza virus detected anywhere in Alaska or the United States. In addition, there have been no cases of a person contracting the H5N1 virus from wild birds. The USFWS and OEHE will continue their surveillance for any possibility of the virus surfacing in Alaska.
YKHC will provide regular updates to the people of the YK Delta about the surveillance efforts, including prompt notification of any positive identification of the H5N1 virus.
For more information concerning the surveillance effort, contact Kelsey Hustedt, YKHC Avian Influenza Coordinator, toll free at 1-800-478-6599, or direct at 543-6421.
When handling wild game, YKHC encourages the following safe handling procedures:
- Do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning birds.
- Wash your hands and knife thoroughly with soap after cleaning or handling any birds or eggs.
- Cook wild birds or eggs thoroughly before eating them.
