FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Officials at the South Florida Wildlife Center are taking precautions to protect birds from becoming seriously ill, as a dangerous virus spreads across parts of the country.
Veterinarians at the center, located in Fort Lauderdale, are taking extra precautions to protect their feathered patients from the highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu.
“It is a potential risk for all types of birds, including some of our patients,” said Dr. Antonia Gardner, medical director of the South Florida Wildlife Center.
The highly contagious viral infection occurs naturally in birds. A recent outbreak is affecting several species of migratory birds across the East Coast of the country, as far south as Palm Beach County.
“Because of the potential risk, we are just being more cautious in our admission and triage and quarantine protocols,” said Gardner. “We are basically just decreasing the number of staff that can handle them, and we are evaluating them in an outdoor area away from our inpatients. Then we are putting them in quarantine and testing them for treatment.”
Wildlife officials say there are steps that can be taken to help prevent the bird flu. Among them:
- Report bird deaths so die-offs can be investigated and tested.
- Prevent contact of domestic or captive birds with wild birds.
- Avoid handling sick or dead wildlife.
Officials said there is a low risk of transmission to humans, and there have been no known human infections in North America.
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