The telephone at the Nature Assistance Center is ringing off the hook with calls from people who have spotted a sick, weakened or dead wild bird somewhere. More than fifty birds have already been collected. “But the number of calls is much higher,” says Sil Jansen of the Nature Assistance Center. “As often as we were able to catch the sick bird, just as often when we tried to catch it, it still flew with the last of its strength. And then we lost those birds. We don’t know whether they are infected or not. But assume that the virus is everywhere in Limburg.”
Impact
Dead or weakened birds have already been collected in ten municipalities: Bocholt, Lommel, Bilzen-Hoeselt, Maasmechelen, Dilsen-Stokkem, Hechtel-Eksel, Halen, Hasselt, Zonhoven and Maaseik. And it was always about birds infected with bird flu. The investigation into the dead birds is still ongoing for six municipalities – Voeren, Oudsbergen, Diepenbeek, Kinrooi, Heers and Genk.
“It involved cranes, ducks, geese, but also herons and buzzards,” says Sil Jansen. “It has a major impact on the bird population. But the past has also shown that foxes and martens become very ill from the virus, as do pets.”
Contageous
“We have to be realistic,” Jansen continues. “The carcasses we find are a fraction of the number of infected wild birds lying somewhere. We do not find many carcasses. But when a dog or cat runs loose in an area where wild birds live, they can inhale the virus and become ill through direct contact with the infected birds. That is why this golden tip. Just as people are advised not to touch sick birds, we ask pet owners: also make sure that your dog or cat cannot get to infected carcasses or birds. And this is already possible with dogs. very simple: keep them on a leash.”