HARRISBURG – Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16) is sharing tips to stay healthy and minimize the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) following the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s announcement that it is the suspected cause of death for wild geese in the Lehigh Valley.
“As geese and other waterfowl migrate through our area, it’s important to know what to do if we see sick or dead birds,” said Coleman. “The Game Commission has provided some steps the public can take to help them track and manage any illness among wildlife.”
To best protect the health of wildlife, domestic animals and humans, the Game Commission asks the public to assist them by doing the following:
- Report sick or dead wild birds to the commission by calling 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453), emailing pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov or using the online Wildlife Health Survey tool.
- Dispose of a dead wild bird found on your property – if the Game Commission hasn’t responded within 24 hours – by burial or commercial/residential trash. Both methods will protect scavenging wildlife. If electing to dispose of the carcass, the following guidance is provided:
- Before picking up the wild bird carcass, put on either disposable or washable gloves. If gloves are unavailable, a plastic bag can be used as a makeshift glove.
- If performing on-site burial, a burial hole at least two feet deep will discourage scavenging. Do not bury the carcass in an area that could contaminate a water supply.
- If disposing of the carcass in commercial/residential trash, place the carcass in a plastic bag along with any disposal gloves that were used. Then place everything in a second plastic bag before disposal.
- Once disposal is complete, immediately wash your hands and any non-disposable gloves that were used.
Because HPAI impacts more than just wildlife, please also report any sick or dead domestic bird to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852. Anyone who isn’t feeling well after having contact with sick or dead birds is encouraged to contact their primary care physician or the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 877-724-3258.
CONTACT: Robert Arena, 484-861-4964