Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a contagious viral disease affecting mainly chickens, turkeys, ducks and other birds. If you find dead birds the action you should take is as follows:

*If the death occurs in domestic poultry and is unexplained or linked to the symptoms of Avian Influenza you are legally required to inform the State Veterinary Service 01284 778150.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/qanda/background.htm
*If you find a group of dead birds of the same species in the same location in Cambridgeshire, or

*If you find any single dead wild gulls, waders, ducks, geese or swans you should contact the dedicated DEFRA helpline on 08459 33 55 77

* If you find a small number of dead wild birds of other species, including garden birds then you do not need to call the DEFRA helpline. You should:

· leave it alone, or
· follow the guidelines below for disposal.

Guidance on handling dead birds

Wild birds can carry several diseases that are infectious to people and some simple hygiene precautions should minimise the risk of infection. It is hard for people to catch avian influenza from birds and the following simple steps are also effective against avian influenza.

If you have to move a dead bird:

1. Avoid touching the bird with your bare hands.

2. If possible, wear disposable protective gloves when picking up and handling.

3. Place the dead bird in a suitable plastic bag, preferably leak proof. Care should be taken not to contaminate the outside of the bag.

4. Tie the bag and place it in a second plastic bag.

5. Remove gloves by turning them inside out and then place them in the second plastic bag. Tie the bag and dispose of it in the normal household refuse bin.

6. Hands should then be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

7. If disposable gloves are not available, a plastic bag can be used as a make-shift glove. When the dead bird has been picked up, the bag can be turned back on itself and tied. It should then be placed in a second plastic bag, tied and disposed of in the normal household waste.

8. Alternatively, the dead bird can be buried, but not in a plastic bag.

9. Any clothing that has been in contact with the dead bird should be washed using ordinary washing detergent at the temperature normally used for washing the clothing.
10. Any contaminated indoor surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned with normal household cleaner.

What should I do if I find a dead bird outside Cambridgeshire?

Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire have been designated as targeted surveillance areas by DEFRA. Therefore if you are visiting these counties and find dead waterfowl you should report its location to DEFRA using the helpline number 08459 33 55 77

If you see a number of dead birds or birds showing signs of disease e.g. ducks on a pond, other waterfowl or domestic fowl , you should contact:
the State Veterinary Service (SVS) on 01284 778150 as soon as possible.

It would also be helpful if you could inform:
· Cambridgeshire Trading Standards on 01954 284619

You can access further information about Avian Flu by downloading DEFRA’s ‘Avian Influenza Factsheet’ through the link on the main Poultry Disease page or at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/ai/index.htm