WYOMING — Waterfowl hunting season is in full swing in Wyoming but precautions to minimize the risk of contracting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) are necessary, says the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD).
According to WGFD, the agency recently observed large waterfowl die-offs due to HPAI in the Cheyenne and Wheatland areas.
In the Jackson Hole region, 18 birds have tested positive for HPAI. The species vary, including three trumpeter swans, two magpies, a red-tailed hawk and a great-horned owl. All of the birds were tested in the fall and spring of 2022.
“Waterfowl hunters can expect to encounter additional sick or dead birds,” says WGFD.
HPAI is considered a zoonotic disease and although rare, it can infect humans. Game and Fish urges hunters who are in the field and handle game meat to take specific precautions.
- Only harvest game that appears healthy. Do not handle or eat sick game.
- Field dress and prepare game outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear rubber or disposable nitrile gloves while handling or cleaning game.
- When done handling game, wash hands thoroughly with soap or disinfectant and clean knives, equipment and surfaces that come in contact with game.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke while handling animals.
- Do not feed sick/found dead carcasses/tissues to domestic animals such as dogs and cats.
- All game should be thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F before being consumed.
According to the Wyoming Department of Health, people who have been exposed to birds potentially infected with avian influenza should monitor for illness for 10 days after their last exposure. If concerned about exposure or illness in pets, call a veterinarian.
Game and Fish is also asking that anyone who encounters clusters of three or more waterfowl species or a single raptor, grouse or wild turkey exhibiting signs of HPAI or found dead with no apparent cause, contact the regional Game and Fish office.
This past fall, three grizzly bears in Montana were found exhibiting HPAI symptoms and were euthanized, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recently released. All three tested positive for HPAI, the first documented cases in grizzly bears.
