Beware: You Could Shut Them Down If You Take This Animal To SPCA

It's something that could shut down the Erie County SPCA for 30 days.

There was a case of the bird flu right in Western New York in Orleans County and the Erie County SPCA is taking measures and precautions to make sure that they can treat animals as best that they can. Lately, the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, a strain of the bird flu, has been running ramped.

The disease is coming from Europe and ending up in our backyards.

How does it get here?

Waterfowl like geese and ducks are bringing it as they migrate.

Do birds die from the bird flu?

Waterbirds like geese or ducks don't necessarily die upon getting the disease, but other birds like chickens will die fast.

As the weather gets nicer in Western New York, you are going to see more birds. Always contact the SPCA if you see something, but this is just so everyone is aware of what is going on. The SPCA is quarantining certain birds that come in and the workers will be wearing protective equipment.

How do you know if a bird has the bird flu? 

According to the CDC: "The reported signs and symptoms of bird flu virus infections in humans have ranged from no symptoms or mild illness [such as eye redness (conjunctivitis) or mild flu-like upper respiratory symptoms], to severe".

According to WIVB:

The worst case scenario is that we’re gonna affect some of the domestic poultry farms these wild animals, we don’t want any of our volunteers bringing it back to their backyard flocks. We’d like to see people not have to say goodbye to their pets in the form of their backyard flocks so we just wanna be really careful that we’re not spreading anything,” Haney said. “This also goes to birders as well. You’re walking through some of the feces, you are carrying those fomites and those viruses wherever you’re walking", said Wildlife director Barb Haney.