Spring goose hunters look to experts with questions about spreading avian flu
The first nations in the north -east of the Ontario are preparing for the spring hunting hunt, but while the deeply significant cultural tradition is expected with impatience, this year it is tinged with anxiety thanks to the news of avian influenza in southern online.
The Canadian Cooperative for the Health of Wild Fauna connected to the University of Guelph monitors the spread of the influence of birds based on the recovery of dead or affected birds that volunteers send them.
A database On the organization’s website shows that the last positive case in the North -Ast was in a live construction site last September near Matheson, with previous cases in wild birds in the south and North Bay in 2022.
Brian Stevens is a pathologist of wildlife for Ontario in the Nunavut region.
He says this winter so far, it is not aware of positive cases, even if the virus can be transported by the migration of wild birds.
“It doesn’t mean that the virus was not up there,” he said. “It only means that if there were birds that were dying of it, we were unable to test them for some reason, whether it had not been brought to us, or the animal was unable to do it for several reasons.”
Stevens said it could be discouraging for people who live in remote areas to know what to do if they come across a dead bird or how to report one that appears sick.
“We certainly miss the cases out there if nobody sees them or if they don’t know how to contact us if they find dead birds,” he said. “So we are certainly not out there on the landscape making active surveillance.”
Stevens says you can contact the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative For information on how to report and send dead birds.
Another person who is interested in receiving reports from those who extend to the ground is Alex Litvinov.
It is an aquatic biologist who works for the land and resources department of the first nation Moose Cree.
He said he received many questions from First Nations as they are preparing for spring hunt and is feeling concerns on their part.
Litvinov notes that hunting is more than a way for the creation of storing their freezers, it is a cultural activity that unites families and colleague to the earth.
The boys become men by collecting their first goose.
“In reality it is a very sacred tradition for the communities of the first nation and I don’t think they will stop unless the birds stop flying,” said Litvinov.
While worried about the virus that spreads to the north, he said that the risk of transmission for humans is low at the moment.
However, he said the hunters want to know how to collect and safely protect their families from the disease.
He said he tells hunters to wear extra gloves and protection of the eyes to prevent blood and other liquids from splashing on them and cleaning animals away from other people.
“Sometimes it is really difficult to find a safe place or as a separated place from the family members to separate, but we recommend that they do it,” said Litvinov.
In addition, he said they have to keep goose meat separately from other meat, because freezing does not kill the virus.
Litvinov said that anyone who comes across died or strange -looking birds can refer to them and can submit them to the adequate authorities for the tests.
