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IDNR to
participate in national surveillance for avian flu
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Second
year for sampling of hunter-harvested and live-trapped waterfowl
[October 18, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- For the second straight year,
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will participate this
fall in the national surveillance effort for highly pathogenic Asian
H5N1 avian influenza. Like last year, wildlife biologists from IDNR
will collect samples from hunter-harvested waterfowl at various
sites throughout Illinois during the upcoming waterfowl hunting
season.
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 Sampling of hunter-harvested and live-trapped waterfowl for avian
influenza surveillance began in Illinois during the fall of 2006.
Between October 2006 and April 2007, 804 samples were taken by IDNR
from eight species of waterfowl at 21 locations throughout the
state. While four samples tested positive for avian influenza, none
tested positive for the highly pathogenic Asian H5N1 form, which is
the form of concern for both human and wildlife health."The
assistance that Illinois hunters provide in this national
surveillance effort is crucial in collecting information on this
disease, which has not only wildlife health implications but
potential implications for domestic poultry and human health, as
well," said IDNR Acting Director Sam Flood. "We would like to thank
hunters for their involvement last year and encourage them to
participate in the avian influenza surveillance effort again this
year. Without the help of hunters, this surveillance effort would
not be possible."
Avian influenza exists in 144 subtypes, and only the Asian form
is a serious concern for human health. Wildlife health professionals
expected to encounter various forms of low pathogenic avian
influenza found in birds during the national surveillance effort,
and the forms encountered are not a concern for either human or bird
health. To date, the highly pathogenic Asian H5N1 form of avian
influenza is not known to occur in North America.
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 "The major concern about avian influenza is that it could combine
with human influenza viruses and develop into a new strain of human
influenza that could spread person-to-person," said IDPH Director
Dr. Damon T. Arnold. "The Illinois Department of Public Health
continues to work closely with IDNR to monitor avian influenza, and
surveillance programs are vital to staying on top of the disease."
In 2007-2008, IDNR plans to collect a total of 500 samples this
fall and also during spring migration. While the role of wild birds
in transporting Asian H5N1 is not clear, this surveillance effort
will help to ensure early detection of the disease should it arrive
in North America.
The sampling procedure, which consists of swabs of the cloaca
(posterior part of the intestinal tract) and mouth cavity, will take
less than a minute, and the ducks will be returned to the hunter
intact. Not all harvested waterfowl will be sampled, because only
predetermined numbers of certain species have been targeted. Because
the data is being tracked on a regional basis by the United States
Department of Agriculture, hunters will not be informed individually
of their bird's test results.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Natural Resources file received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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