FACE (Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation) has released an official note to talk about recent cases of bird flu found in some birds. According to the association of the European Union, i 7 million hunters of the old continent have a fundamental role to monitor it wildlife health status. Unfortunately, the disease is spreading and the hunters themselves have been asked to increase surveillance, reporting suspected cases.
As explained by FACE, birds can die right away or show some problems, particularly difficulty breathing or weakness, while ducks show no signs of the flu. The advice launched to hunting organizations is that of implement surveillance programs and inform hunters about the disease and how to deal with birds. Anyone who comes into contact with wild birds should take adequate hygienic precautions, avoiding touching or eat infected game.
Furthermore, after each hunting activity, hands must be washed very vigorously, without forgetting to clean gloves and equipment. Another tip to remember is not to eat, drink or smoke while handling animals. It should be emphasized how there is no evidence that hunting contributes to the spread of the disease, therefore any limitation would be serious for surveillance purposes.