June 15, 2008
Wild bird testing project finds no bird flu
by Kelsey Hustedt, OEHE
The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and YKHC's Office of Environmental Health and Engineering (OEHE) have completed the sampling portion of the 2008 spring subsistence surveillance for the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza in migratory birds arriving on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
As of June 1, YKHC had collected 2,674 samples from the 10 participating villages. All samples will be shipped to USFWS in Anchorage, and then sent to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) in Madison, Wis., to be processed.
To this date, 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.
YKHC will be providing 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.
Sample Collection Distribution
TESTING MANAGER
| SAMPLES
|
Albert Simon (Hooper Bay)
| 200
|
Andrew Hunt Jr. (Kotlik)
| 300
|
Rex Nick (Pilot Station)
| 130
|
Richard Curtis (Toksook Bay)
| 400
|
Galen Float (Mekoryuk)
| 40
|
James Charlie Jr. (Chefornak)
| 399
|
Danny Mann II (Kipnuk)
| 280
|
Sam Mark (Quinhagak)
| 400
|
Seth Heakin (Eek)
| 399
|
James Michael (Kwethluk)
| 126
|
TOTAL
| 2674
|
