(Newser)
– Throughout the pandemic, health experts have discouraged people from gathering in large groups to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Now, wildlife biologists are advising aviation enthusiasts to join in to prevent birds from congregating in an effort to curb an increase in cases of salmonellosis, a deadly and rapidly spreading intestinal disease, according to informs SFGate. And that means removing bird feeders and toilets from their property. In recent months, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been “flooded” with calls from people who found sick or dead finches in bird feeders, the agency said in a statement. Birds contract salmonellosis, caused by Salmonella, when they ingest food or water or when they come in contact with objects contaminated with feces from an infected bird. Most birds die within a day of becoming infected, an avian disease specialist tells LiveScience.
Pine hens, a type of finch, have been the hardest hit. But the disease has also been reported in minor and American goldfinches. In California, reports of infected birds come largely from communities on the central coast, the Bay Area and Sierra Nevada, according to authorities. But they also report a “significant number” of infected birds across the country. He News and observer reports that people in North Carolina are being asked to remove their feeders. And the same goes for South Carolina residents State. “Keeping bird feeders clean and temporarily removing them over the next few weeks is something people can do to keep birds safe,” as they migrate north over the next four weeks, according to one expert. number of migratory birds: is the largest in a decade, according to the Audubon Society. (Read more stories of dead birds.)