‘Geese falling out of the sky’: Avian flu begins to infect birds in the KC metro
LINWOOD, Kan. (KCTV) - As calls continue to roll in about geese that have fallen out of the sky, wildlife officials have warned residents in the Kansas City metro that these birds show signs of avian flu.
Operation Wildlife, a Linwood-based wildlife rehab, announced on Friday, Dec. 6, that avian influenza has been confirmed to be in the Kansas City metro area. With an increase in the number of geese due to migration, rescuers have seen an uptick in calls about “geese falling out of the sky.”
Organization leaders noted that the majority of these calls have been related to snow geese - about 40 in the past 3 days. On Friday morning, calls from Atchison, Overland Park, Olathe, Lawrence, Tonganoxie, Kansas City, Kansas, Shawnee and Clinton Lake all rolled in with the same reports.
Wildlife officials indicated that these animals may all show signs of injury, however, once in the care of conservationists, they rapidly decline and show signs of avian influenza:
- Sudden death - without any prior signs of illness
- Swelling of the eyelids and head
- Difficulty breathing with an open mouth or wheezing
- Nasal discharge, coughing or sneezing - birds could have blood-tinged discharge
- Neurological impairment - birds could lack coordination, have tremors, seizures or have a twisted neck
Operation Wildlife said other symptoms could include stumbling or falling, diarrhea, a hunched appearance or ruffled feathers. Birds that contract avian flu die within a few hours or days of intake.
“We are not itting geese to our facility at this time as this is a highly contagious disease that is spread by respiration, fecal matter and ,” organization leaders said on Friday. “And we must protect the birds already in our care at risk. There is no treatment for birds with avian flu and the kindest thing that can happen is for them to be euthanized so they don’t suffer needlessly.”
Organization officials indicated that animal control agencies across the metro have been reached out to in order to help with the situation along with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Conservationists said if residents do come across a bird that may have contracted avian flu, they should report it as soon as possible. Those who have chickens, ducks, parrots and other pet birds have been told they can use Lysol spray on clothes and shoes to disinfect themselves in order to prevent taking the deadly disease home.
- KC Pet Project - 816-683-1383
- North Kansas City Animal Control - 816-274-6024
- Kansas City, Kansas, Animal Services - 913-321-1445
- Lawrence Animal Control - 785-832-7509
- Operation Wildlife - 785-542-3625
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