Following the discovery of dead birds in Aldridge earlier this month, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has confirmed that there are cases of avian influenza in the bird population of Walsall.
Consequently, residents are urged not to touch and sick or dead wild birds.
Stephen Gunther, Walsall’s Director of Public Health said: “I want to reassure Walsall residents that the risk of them catching avian flu is very low. It is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds.
“The virus spreads by close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive). Therefore, it is vital that you do not touch any sick or dead birds you may find. This includes touching infected birds, their droppings, eggs or bedding.
“If you find dead wild waterfowl (such as swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, you should report them to Walsall Council on 01922 65 00 00. Please do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find.
“I would like to ask people not to feed any birds until further notice. Feeding encourages them to congregate and that increases the risk of the disease spreading to other birds.”
Dr Naveed Syed, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control with the UKHSA in the West Midlands. said: “The risk to the public from this strain of avian flu is very low, however it is important that people do not touch any sick or dead birds. As a precaution, anyone who was not wearing appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) while in contact with the droppings or birds in an area where the infection has been confirmed, will require close monitoring and a course of antiviral medication for 10 days from last contact with infected birds.”
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