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Post by icygirlie on Jul 29, 2005 21:47:24 GMT -5
Keep an eye out, please.
My neighborhood has been dealing with Robin Red Breasts falling dead out of trees this past week.
When our neighbor's kids found one, they came away covered in mosquito bites. I don't like what that could mean, neither does my mother and she called both AC and the local police department tonight (the latter at my urging to bring it to someone's attention).
AC has not returned my mother's phone call but you can bet we'll be bothering them until someone responds. We've been here for 18 years and never once have we had a problem with birds falling dead out of trees.
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Post by Laura on Jul 30, 2005 22:51:42 GMT -5
Dear lord, DO NOT TOUCH THEM! We are dealing with pockets of West Nile all over NY,NJ, CT, DE, PA, RI and ME, do not touch them, don't even pick them up with gloves, use a long handled shovel and put them in a heavy duty garbage bag, in a can. Call the Dept of Health, tell me where you are and I can give you the number for your states DOH, local too, if need be.
If those children who were covered in mosquito bites become the SLIGHTEST bit ill, call your doctor immediately, West Nile is life threatening in young kids and the elderly!!
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Post by icygirlie on Jul 31, 2005 20:32:21 GMT -5
The police department told my mother that she should bag on and keep it so AC or the Dept of Health and Human Services can test it. We have called and called and called, but on weekends, the only thing they respond to are loose and/or rabid dogs. As I've learned, dogs can test positive for it but not really get ill, which is a huge relief. To my knowledge, our neighbor is watching her kids like a hawk and we've alerted our elderly neighbors who garden like fiends about this. I am just so thrilled with our Dept of Health and Human Services right now. "Not an emergency" my ass. If this is West Nile, I want someone on it now. I'll be up early, you can bet, and on the phone. Our Animal Control number is the same as Health and Human Services. Especially when its OUR yard they're dropping dead in. I'm in Haverford, Delaware County, PA.
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Post by Richard on Jul 31, 2005 20:54:37 GMT -5
Here in Ontario Canada, we've been dealing with West Nile for the past few years.
I live in the southwestern area of the province and there has not been too many reports of cases of WN this season.
When this first started happening, the provincial government put out a campaign from the ministry of health about WN and how to combat it....no standing water, wear light clothing that covers you during the evenings, use bug repellent products with DEET in them...all sorts of stuff.
They also said anytime you find a dead bird to call it into the health department. Same deal as you, if you can bag it and hang onto the bird until they come and get it.
A few people up here have died from WN but fortunately, it has not been often. I hope the word gets out in your areas about what to do to combat this horrid disease.
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Post by icygirlie on Jul 31, 2005 22:07:41 GMT -5
It sounds stupid, but I'm more worried about my dog and the neighbor's kids more than I am myself. =P
South Jersey deals with it regularly the last few years so what to do in the event of the disease is thankfully not something anyone is in the dark on, but dammit, word needs to *officially* go out if it is. I'm literally a hop skip and a jump away from South Jersey.
I mean, personally, I think birds falling dead out of trees is worth looking into.
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Post by icygirlie on Aug 1, 2005 11:06:42 GMT -5
According to Animal Control: We test five random areas monthly and have not seen the virus yet. It's probably just heat.
I still say they should take the bird and test it just to be safe. If you can afford to run the test five times a month, what the hell is wrong with one more time?
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