OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is encouraging owners of domestic bird and poultry to take additional biosecurity precautions after two new strains of avian influenza have been found in wild waterfowl and domestic poultry.
In the past month, cases have been found in Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and South Dakota. No humans have become ill from these strains and health officials say there is no danger to humans from eating poultry products.
People should avoid contact with sick or dead poultry or wildlife. If contact does occur, the person should wash his or her hands with soap and water and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds, the department said Friday.
"No matter how hard you try, there's always a little bit of chance that somebody hasn't cleaned off their shoes or put their protective booties on," state veterinarian Rod Hall told The Journal Record. "We think that's how some of the commercial producers have become infected."
All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, should report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to state and federal officials, either through the Oklahoma State Veterinarian's office at (405) 522-6141 or through the U.S. Department of Agriculture at (866) 536-7593.