World Health Organization and DU Meet to Discuss Bird (Avian) Flu

Senior Ducks Unlimited (DU) biologists met last November with World Health Organization (WHO) influenza authority Dr. Robert G. Webster to learn from the flu expert and to coordinate its message with the WHO. The goal is to provide the best available science on the issue to the waterfowl hunting community and the general public.

Webster is director of the WHO Collaborating Center on the Ecology of Influenza Viruses in Lower Animals and Birds at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. and a world-recognized leading authority on influenza. The Center is the world's only WHO collaborating laboratory designed to study influenza at the animal-human interface.

The virulent strain of H5N1 avian flu that is concerning the worldwide medical community has established itself in several Asian countries and has also been found in Europe and Africa. It's especially deadly to domestic poultry and fowl, and authorities have killed millions of these birds throughout Asia in an attempt to control the spread of the virus.

It is rare for this type of flu to infect humans. According to the WHO, 208 people have been infected by this flu between 2003 and May 11, 2006, and of those, 115 have died, creating worldwide concern about the possibility of a global pandemic if the virus was to mutate enough to easily move from human to human.

Ducks Unlimited shares these concerns, especially those of the waterfowling community. Such pandemics occur irregularly, but typically two to three times each century. The emergence of the highly pathogenic Asian strain of H5N1 avian influenza now has the world's attention focused on this ever-present risk.

It is important to note that the human cases now present in Asia represent an unusual event where humans contracted the flu directly from domestic birds. Those individuals are all thought to have contracted the flu because of direct contact with infected domestic poultry flocks. There is no evidence for sustained human-to-human spread of this flu, but a limited number of possible human-to-human transmissions have been reported.

Unfortunately, unwarranted fears and concerns about the Asian strain of H5N1 avian influenza are causing some overreactions. DU has heard of individuals canceling duck hunting trips or deciding not to duck hunt this season due to concerns about H5N1 avian flu. We are sensitive to these concerns but hope the following facts provide the necessary information to make rational decisions based on facts, not fear.

As with any wild game and the diseases some carry, hunters can protect themselves by wearing disposable surgical latex gloves when handling or cleaning any game animals or birds. And Dr. Webster says what we learned in kindergarten still makes sense today when it comes to protecting ourselves from all flu viruses. Clean up after yourself, and wash your hands regularly.

“It's amazing what the simple act of washing your hands regularly can do to protect you,” Dr. Webster said.  

Understanding peoples' desire to have as much knowledge as possible about issues that can affect their health, Ducks Unlimited is providing information to address the most frequently asked questions about bird flu that we're hearing from duck hunters, people who enjoy feeding birds at bird feeders and others who might come in contact with wild birds. We encourage hunters to continue enjoying the sport they love without fear or concern.

To provide you with the best information possible, Ducks Unlimited will continue its relationship with Dr. Webster and the WHO Collaborating Center on the Ecology of Influenza Viruses in Lower Animals and Birds, as well as authorities and agencies that are actively monitoring the situation. We'll provide updates on the situation as it relates to wildlife, duck hunters and other outdoorsmen as relevant, new information is produced.