Dead Birds
- What should I do with a dead bird?
- What type of bird is reportable?
- What about the condition of the bird?
- What about the number of dead birds?
- How do you handle a dead bird?
Rabies
- What do I do if I come in contact with a bat?
- I have been bitten by or my child says they have been bitten by a bat?
- I am being treated for rabies, can I give other people rabies?
- I found a dead bat , what should I do with it?
- What do I do if I have been bitten by a larger animal?
If you see an ill or dead bird in your area, you may contact your local Wildlife Resources Division or report the dead bird online.
Phone numbers:
435-865-6100
801-596-8660 (this number is an automated service)
It is important to note that only some birds are suitable for testing. To determine if a bird is suitable for testing, please follow these guidelines:
What type of bird is reportable?
Is the bird a raven, crow, jay, bird of prey or does the bird appear to be ill or dying?
What about the condition of the bird?
Has the bird been dead less than 24 hours? Birds that have been dead longer then 24 hours appear decayed and are not suitable for testing.
I s there no other obvious cause of death, such a window strike, cat-kill or collision with a vehicle?
What about a number of dead birds?
A cluster of sick or dead birds in an area are not likely to indicate WNV infection, but may indicate other wildlife diseases of concern. Other things that you may want to be aware of when you are watching for dead birds:
If you notice several dead birds in a small area, these birds may have picked up parasites or bacteria from a local bird feeder. If you have a bird feeder, please clean your feeder once a month using a 10 percent bleach solution for at least ten minutes, and rinse thoroughly. If large number of dead birds suddenly appear in a small area, these birds may have been poisoned. Please contact your regional wildlife resources office to report this.
Based on the information you provide, someone may be dispatched to collect a specimen for testing. If the bird cannot be tested, it should be double-bagged and discarded in an outside waste container.
How should the dead bird be handled?
Use standard levels of precaution when handling any dead bird. Do no pick up any dead bird with your bare hands. Birds may dies from a variety of causes, and it is important to exercise caution. If possible, wear rubber or latex gloves. If gloves are not available, invert a plastic bag over your hand; pick up the bird and un-invert the bag. Seal the bag with the bird inside and place inside a second plastic bag. Seal the second plastic bag. Ziploc type bags are recommended, if available.
Rabies is relatively common in bats and other rodents in Southwest Utah. Although most people avoid these rodents, occasionally some one will be bitten and there is a concern about exposure to rabies.
The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. has released the Compendium of Animal Rabies Control for 2006. The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) has adopted the Compendium as an official reference document. The updated compendium is available on their web site: Click here.
What should I do if I come in contact with a bat?
If you are bitten by a bat, or if infectious material (such as saliva or brain material if it is killed) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound---wash the affected area thoroughly and get medical advice immediately. Whenever possible, the bat should be captured and sent to a laboratory for rabies testing.
People usually know when they have been bitten by a bat. However, most types of bats have very small teeth which may leave marks that disappear quickly. There are situations in which you should seek medical advice even in the absence of an obvious bite wound. For example, if you awakened because a bat landed on you while you were sleeping, if you awakened and found a bat in your room, if you see a bat in a room with an unattended child, or see a bat near a mentally impaired or intoxicated person, try to safely capture the bat and have the bat tested and seek medical advice.
People cannot get rabies just from seeing a bat in an attic, in a cave, at summer camp, or from a distance while it is flying. In addition, people cannot get rabies from having contact with bat guano (feces), blood, or urine, or from touching a bat on its fur (even though bats should never be handled!).
I have been bitten or my child says he was bitten by a bat. What should I do?
If the bat was captured, tested and is negative for rabies, you or your child will not need human rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. If it tests positive or is not available for testing then it would have to be assumed that the bat may have had rabies and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be initiated without delay. Wash any wounds, especially animal bites, thoroughly with soap and water, as soon as possible. Children should be encouraged to report encounters with bats and any bite from an animal, to an adult.
I am receiving rabies PEP due to exposure to a rabid animal-can I give rabies to other people?
Persons cannot transmit rabies to other people unless they themselves are sick with rabies. The prophylaxis you are receiving will protect you from developing rabies, and therefore you cannot expose other people to rabies. You should continue to participate in your normal activities.
I have a dead bat. What should I do with it?
Use standard levels of precaution when handling any dead bat or animal. Do not pick up any dead bat with your bare hands. Bats may die from a variety of causes, and it is important to exercise caution. If possible, wear rubber or latex gloves. If gloves are not available, invert a plastic bag over your hand; pick up the bat and un-invert the bag. Seal the bag with the bat inside and place inside a second plastic bag. Seal the second plastic bag. Ziploc type bags are recommended, if available. Place the bat in your refrigerator until further instructions are obtained.
Call your local health department for further guidance and information about the disposal of the bat. .
What if I am bitten by a larger animal?
Wash the wound carefully with soap and water. Seek medical attention immediately. If the animal can be identified easily, report to your local animal control.
For further information click here.
