South Dakota wild duck surveillance

[Sally Furniss]

Sep 22 2007 6:54PM

http://www.kxmc.com/News/164925.asp

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) South Dakota hunters will help in the next phase of testing for bird flu.

Nearly 400 ducks shot during the hunting season in northeast and east central South Dakota will be tested.

The Game, Fish and Parks Department began testing waterfowl and migratory birds last year to see if they might have picked up bird flu from birds that travel between Asia and Alaska.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: South Dakota wild duck surveillance

Bird flu testing continues

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/23/news/south_dakota/46ebc56837746e8f8625735e0080409f.txt

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- The second phase of testing for bird flu will be conducted during the duck hunting season that begins Sept. 29 in much of the state.

About 1,000 migratory birds were tested last year and another 380 samples were collected during summer duck banding conducted by the state Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

Testing is being done nationwide to determine if waterfowl and other birds that migrate through the continental U.S. might be infected with avian influenza, commonly called bird flu.

Migratory birds that travel to Asia and back to Alaska may have become infected in Asia.

Samples will be taken from 380 birds harvested during the duck season, primarily in the northeast and east central South Dakota.

No infected birds have been found anywhere in the nation, said the GFP's Tony Leif.

[Niko]

Re: South Dakota wild duck surveillance

Associated Press - December 9, 2007 8:25 AM ET

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - More than 700 samples from migratory birds have been collected in South Dakota to see if any are infected with bird flu.
The state Department of Game, Fish and Parks collected about 380 samples while banding ducks in summer. Another 370 samples were collected from waterfowl killed by hunters this fall.

So far, there's no evidence of the disease, although not all the samples have been tested yet.

Some birds travel back and forth between Asia and Alaska. It's possible they could become infected in Asia and spread the disease to birds that migrate from Alaska to the lower 48 states.

http://www.kmeg14.com/Global/story.a...av=menu609_2_4