Avian influenza a serious concern
The recent outbreak of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza in seabirds is a serious matter of concern in the greater Mossel Bay area.
Many swift terns showing signs of this illness have already been recovered from beaches and taken to local vet Dr Frans de Graaff.
Symptoms
Affected birds are weak and they may show neurological symptoms of bird flu such as tremors, seizures, loss of balance, swimming in circles or head twitches. Respiratory signs include foam around the mouth, fluid running from the nostrils or mouth, difficulty breathing or sticky mucous in the mouth.
Many affected birds have diarrhoea and bright green faeces. Cloudy eyes are a symptom often seen in other species with bird flu, besides the terns.
Any birds showing these symptoms should be isolated from other birds as soon as possible.
Do not attempt to recover a bird with any of the above symptoms if you have poultry or birds in cages at home.
What to do when birds are found
Alive birds
Appropriate protective clothing such as an apron and disposable gloves should be worn to prevent contamination.The bird collected should be placed in a box or crate lined with newspaper (no towels please).
The bird must be isolated in a protected area and refrain from opening the box often as it causes stress. Keep noise to the minimum.
Dead birds
Always ensure your own safety by wearing gloves. Dead birds collected must be folded into newspaper and put into three plastic bags inside one another and the outside one should be sprayed with a disinfectant and taken to the Hartenbos Animal Hospital, where it will be disposed of.
Contact Carol Walton from SAPREC (082 364 3382) or the Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team (072 227 4715) immediately for assistance.