Missouri conservation officials say waterfowl hunters should monitor their culls amid an outbreak of H5 avian influenza, also known as bird flu, that was confirmed by United States health agencies in mid-2024.

The Missouri Department of Conservation says bird flu doesn’t present an immediate health concern. Deborah Hudman is the wildlife health program supervisor with MDC. She said avian flu cases have dropped off significantly since the holiday season - specifically cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI.

“Initially, it was primarily the geese and ducks and other waterfowl species. And now we're seeing [HPAI cases in] some of the raptors, right? So they're predating on the carcasses, and so we're detecting some of that. But honestly, it's slowed down dramatically,” Hudman said.

Hudman said that because the virus is more prominent in waterfowl , hunters should still be taking precautions. The virus can be spread through contact with dead birds, so Hudman said avoiding skin-to-skin contact with dead birds and making sure carcasses are cleaned up is the best way to prevent the virus from spreading.

“They should be dressing game birds in the field whenever possible, or at a location away from - if they have a backyard flock or any other birds,” Hudman said. “It's best if they could just do it in the field. They should also dispose of the harvest waste by placing the remains in trash bags and disposing them through trash collection or permitted landfill.”

Missouri’s falconry hunting season opened February 11 for ducks, coots and mergansers. Light goose season began on February 7. Hudman said hunters should report any large waterfowl die-offs to MDC and practice good hygiene habits to prevent carrying the virus from site-to-site.

“They could transport the virus on their waders or equipment or boats, especially if it's not dry before moving it from one site to another. So we're asking them to let things dry before they go to another wetland area, just to reduce that chance,” Hudman said.

The CDC and several other health agencies have stated that the risk of humans contracting bird flu is low - however, there have been a handful of cases recorded in the US over the past year of humans who got the virus after coming into contact with infected birds. Because of this, Hudman said hunters and anyone who handles birds should pay attention to their health and contact a doctor if experiencing any flu-like symptoms.

“We do ask that, if they handle these birds, to pay attention to their health for 10 days after contact with a sick or dead bird. If they display any symptoms during that time. And symptoms could be fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny, stuffy nose, difficulty breathing," Hudman said. "They should seek out medical attention and mention to their health care provider that they've been in contact with waterfowl."

Because songbirds are at a lower risk for avian flu, Hudman said that bird feeders and bird baths aren’t a concern right now - unless they are in an area where domestic poultry is kept. In those cases, officials are recommending removing bird feeders and baths located around domestic poultry.

Agencies also recommend regularly cleaning bird feeders and bird baths and picking up spilled seed to discourage large groups of birds from congregating. Hudman said it’s also important to keep other animals safe, including pets, by keeping areas where pets may roam clear of dead birds.

“You don't want your any pets to be feasting on any of these dead birds, because they can contract it,” Hudman said.

Hudman said to avoid touching dead birds directly by wearing gloves or other protective equipment to handle them.

“So put on some gloves, double bag it, and when we say double bag, you can put that bird at the bottom of bag and twist it, and then fold that bag back around itself - just again to prevent any kind of scavengers from getting to it - and then just put it in your normal trash. Certainly try not to handle it bare handed,” Hudman said.