Avian influenza (known by many names, such as bird flu) was first discovered in New York in Suffolk County in February 2022.The current version of the virus, H5N1, even spread in March 2023 to the DEC Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca and killed about 500 pheasants at that time.

The current New York Hunting and Trapping guide has a special section in it to raise awareness for waterfowl hunters about HPAI. Anyone hunting and handling wild birds should heed those precautions.

Let me start by saying that currently there are no reported cases of avian influenza being spread to humans in either New York or Pennsylvania. The risk of humans catching the virus is very low at this time in our area.

So why is everyone so concerned about it? There are several reasons. First, it can and does spread among wildlife populations (birds, predators that eat them, and certain other mammals) and is often fatal to them. Second, it has spread to domestic poultry and even to dairy cows. Third, like other viruses, it mutates readily and scientists are afraid it will cross over to humans and cause an influenza pandemic.

Hunting dogs that retrieve birds are at risk of catching HPAI. While there is no current vaccine for dogs or cats against the H5N1 strain of the virus, everyone should keep their pets up-to-date on all shots to keep the animals healthy so their immune systems can help fight off mild exposure.

Most of the tips from the authorities about avian influenza are common sense. Don’t harvest animals that appear sick. Report any such animals to proper authorities (usually the Department of Health).

Wash your hands thoroughly with hot soapy water. 160 degrees Fahrenheit kills the virus. Obviously, cooking all game to that internal temperature is best practice. Sorry, no duck breast tartare, folks.

Don’t eat or drink or do any similar activities in the field while handling wild animals. Field dress birds and other wild game outdoors or in a well ventilated area and don’t leave carcasses and entrails lying around to infect predators and scavengers.

Use protective gear like plastic gloves and eye protection when field dressing or handling wild game. I’ve always done that, since I was young. I used to use a pair of yellow gloves that came halfway up my forearms (I think they were called Playtex Living Gloves – my mother would sometimes use them while washing dishes).

All of my hunting buddies called me a wimp for using them. I’ll be completely honest and tell you that I did so to keep my hands clean so that I didn’t have to wash them off in cold water in a stream or wipe them in snow. It had nothing to do with precautions about diseases. But I’m sure that was a benefit as well. It’s nice to know that as a society, we’ve collectively gotten smarter over the years.

So what is the takeaway from this discussion of avian flu? We don’t need to be paranoid just yet. The risk to humans in the U.S. is currently low. It isn’t zero, however, and tragically in January 2025 the first human death from it occurred in Louisiana. We need to be vigilant and prevent its spread and take proper precautions.

Let’s all enjoy the outdoors!

JOHN S. VAN ETTEN is the current president of the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County, Inc.