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Indybay Feature

NoCal Residents Asked to remove bird feeders ! this stupidity @ its finest

by dr patricia doyle and louis bettencourt
Northern California residents are being asked to remove bird feeders from their property for at least a month to help slow an outbreak of an avian disease, the California Department of Fish and Game announced today
Scientists hope the measure will control the spread of salmonellosis, a disease affecting birds known as pine siskins, which primarily live in wooded areas from Grass Valley to Eureka, state Wildlife Veterinarian Pam Swift reported. Swift warns that communities in the Bay Area also are affected by the outbreak.

Pine siskins are small, brown, streaked birds with yellow patches on the wings and tail, according to Swift. They are commonly seen at feeders and birdbaths.

The California West Nile virus hotline has received numerous calls from concerned residents reporting dead pine siskins in forested areas throughout the northern portion of the state. Salmonellosis is a bacterial disease that is not related to West Nile virus.

The disease could also affect humans, and residents are warned to use caution around birdfeeders and birdbaths, according to Swift.

After the moratorium on bird feeding is lifted, the department suggests that residents replace all food in birdfeeders and water in birdbaths daily; decontaminate all feeders by using a 10 percent solution of household bleach in water; spread small amounts of seed over a large area in the sun to avoid encouraging a concentration of birds at one site; replace wooden bird feeders with plastic or metal that don't harbor the bacteria and can be sterilized easily; and use gloves and anti-bacterial soap when handling dead birds and bird feeders.

http://www2.cbs5.com/localwire/l

ProMED-mail
promed [at] promedmail.org

People should be especially careful to wear gloves and wash their hands after cleaning the feeders. Salmonella is most often ingested through contaminated food products, but may be transmitted through unsanitary hand contact with the face.

Salmonella is most often associated with gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea in people. - Mod.TG ...................

tg/msp/lm

Patricia A. Doyle, PhD
Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?
Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
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