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  • So I found this dead bird, see

    Noticed a dead bird in our yard today, so I thought I'd call the Dept of Health to see what I should do about it. Ha. Three pages of phone numbers. Went to the 'Net instead. Found a site for dead bird collection, but guess what? DOH doesn't come get, you gotta take to them. I checked the location page for the one nearest me, dutifully bagged up my bird and took it there.

    It didn't inspire a lot of confidence. I walked in with this bag, and the kid behind the table took it, held it out at arm's length and walked away. Meanwhile somebody else got me a form to fill out (name, address, phone, dead or alive bird). But I didn't see how anyone was gonna connect that form to the bag with the bird. Maybe they only get one a day, so it isn't hard to put the two together, but what if they got hundreds?

    Oh well, I figure I did the right thing for public health.
    http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

  • #2
    Re: So I found this dead bird, see

    Mahalo Steve, I really do appreciate it.
    Check out my blog on Kona issues :
    The Kona Blog

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    • #3
      Re: So I found this dead bird, see

      On a random side note i hit a bird driving today....or rather it hit me......I found it kind of amusing seeing that I jokingly try to hit them but have never been able to, but today one hit me....


      sorry if i have distracted you from the relating thread i just can't help myself sometimes
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      • #4
        Re: So I found this dead bird, see

        What Konaguy said. You're doing your part.

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        • #5
          Re: So I found this dead bird, see

          Originally posted by Linkmeister
          Found a site for dead bird collection, but guess what? DOH doesn't come get, you gotta take to them. Oh well, I figure I did the right thing for public health.
          There was a time when there were ads requesting that the public let the DoH know if there were sick or dead birds due to fear of bird flu. One day, there was a bird huddled in my father's carport. It didn't look well. It didn't fly away when approached. We left it alone for a while and when we went back to look, it had vomited and fallen over, apparently dead. My father, heeding the ads and I think a newspaper article, called the DoH to inform them about this sick and now dead bird and no one knew what the heck he was talking about at first and then he was told if he was concerned, to bring the bird in himself. So he bagged the bird and threw it away and was all disgruntled at the DoH for putting out those ads like they care and then not having any follow through.

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          • #6
            Re: So I found this dead bird, see

            Just because most people wouldn't go through the trouble, or because the system isn't particularly slick, doesn't mean you didn't do a good thing, Steve. I thank you too.

            Today it might seem strange, and the person who took the bird probably would've rather you didn't (I imagine he knows they technically collect them, but generally expects few people to actually bring them in)... but I can easily forsee a day when a dead bird could be incredibly significant.

            Even now, for one street and one neighborhood, it represented a health issue. So I'm glad you took the time.

            As for personal bird stories...

            I too generally slow or swerve for birds (provided it doesn't cause a hazard to other drivers, of course), mostly out of instinct. And when I just started driving? I still remember that the first time I told myself, "They always get out of the way" and steeled my nerves -- this was in Ala Moana park, by the way -- I was rewarded with a thump and a huge cloud of white feathers in my rear-view mirror.

            Hitting a bird in a car sucks. Hitting a recently struck bird while riding a bike is even worse. Those suckers don't go squish. They go pop.

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            • #7
              Re: So I found this dead bird, see

              Originally posted by Linkmeister
              Noticed a dead bird in our yard today, so I thought I'd call the Dept of Health to see what I should do about it. Ha. Three pages of phone numbers. Went to the 'Net instead. Found a site for dead bird collection, but guess what? DOH doesn't come get, you gotta take to them. I checked the location page for the one nearest me, dutifully bagged up my bird and took it there.

              It didn't inspire a lot of confidence. I walked in with this bag, and the kid behind the table took it, held it out at arm's length and walked away. Meanwhile somebody else got me a form to fill out (name, address, phone, dead or alive bird). But I didn't see how anyone was gonna connect that form to the bag with the bird. Maybe they only get one a day, so it isn't hard to put the two together, but what if they got hundreds?

              Oh well, I figure I did the right thing for public health.
              You DID do the right thing. But either theyre still in denial, or they have no clue as what to do, themselves.

              A few months ago, I found three dead starlings and two dead pigeons, on the same day. This was just when the bird flu had come to Romania, and the migrating birds (that pass Romania, on their way down here) were passing overhead. Nobody wanted to know. The Mayor told me that we won't get it, here (we have tourists, you see), the gendarmes (cops) laughed at me, the vet siad to forget it...and on and on.

              So, I called the Ministre de la Santé (health department). That was creepy. The nice man, at the other end of the line, told me that I must tell the Mayor's office, the Gendarmes, the Vet, and the prefecture (State office). He told me not to worry too much, because there are people on the ground, who will spot it, even before it's evident. Gee...I felt SO much beter, after that!

              He did say, however...and this is where it becomes important: If you must pick up a dead bird, wear disposable gloves, shoe covers, a mask,and clothing. Triple bag the bird(s). Dispose of all clothing in triple bags. Wash with a disinfectant, and shampoo. Cut your fingernails, afterwards. And disinfect the area that the bird(s) are found in.

              Was the bird a healthy-looking bird? The health dept. (albeit a French one) said to lok out for runny eyes, mouth, and beak. Or crusty ones. Bleeding from the mouth, beak.

              I have family, in Hawaii, that works with birds. And a friend who has a husband that works with birds and the health dept (Local). I'll get back to you, on this, to let you know what you could have done differently, or for next time.
              http://thissmallfrenchtown.blogspot.com/
              http://thefrenchneighbor.blogspot.com/

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              • #8
                Re: So I found this dead bird, see

                This is all comical and scary at the same time. Not the thread but the community action. I am in the park a lot and I have been seeing a lot of pigeons just walking away on the ground from the rest of the birds and then dying. Kind of creapy and scary given the amountt of bird crap on the ground and my bare feet.

                I was on a flight from Japan to Honolulu, and I happened to be first to the door before they opened it. The door opens, and there is a security guard from TSA standing there. He looks at the Japanese flight attendants and says, "Anybody sick?" The flight attendants looked at each other puzzled like they had no idea what he was talking about. Then the guy goes, "Okay. Thanks." Then, he jsut walks away. I started laughing. In Japan, they have implemented small devices that sit at a desk you have to walk by on your way to immigration that scans your body temprature.

                I sent an email to Linda Lingle's office asking questions about what Hawaii's response would be to combat the spread of the disease in Hawaii if it went human to human given the amount of Asians that travel to Hawaii but I never got a response.

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                • #9
                  Re: So I found this dead bird, see

                  I wasn't about to do an autopsy/necropsy, so I didn't look too closely to see whether there were fluids from the beak or eyes.

                  When I called the Aiea collection site (in Aiea District Park, which I'd never noticed before; see, some good came of all this) the guy at the end of the line said to put it in a ziploc bag. So I went out with a plastic shopping bag from Times over one hand and an open ziploc bag in the other, picked it up with the Times bag and placed it in the ziploc bag, sealed it, tossed it in the car and went off to deliver it. Using the Times bag was the only precaution I took; I was wearing slippers.

                  I'm not too concerned about catching avian flu or West Nile from that brief and fairly well-covered encounter, but I do wonder what if anything those folks are gonna do with it. For all I know the kid took it out back and threw it in the dumpster.

                  I can hear it now: Somebody from DOH gets a report at the end of the month with my form attached as backup, and says, "Hey! You turned in a dead bird form, so where's the bird?"
                  http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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                  • #10
                    Re: So I found this dead bird, see

                    As I was reading you thread I happened to be watching CNN and caught a Dr. Sanjay Gupta segment on Avain Flu.

                    From exposure to death in a chicken can take as little as 14 hours.

                    They also said that there is a company on-line now selling vaccines to people.

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                    • #11
                      Re: So I found this dead bird, see

                      Vaccines won't work, for now. Gotta get the pandemic, first, and then make the vaccine...because you must identify the virus. The chicken one, for now, can maybe be vaccinated against, for chickens. Until it mutates, again.

                      The problem is, that this chicken sick might mutate again, and make itself easier to infect humans, and for other humans to infect each other.

                      The best thing to do is to prepare for it, so that you can 'social distance', and wait for it to pass. The more that communities and individuals are prepared, the more that the government won't have to help out...not that they'll be able to help out...imagine Katrina a zillion times over, everybody will be overwhelmed.

                      And the more that everyone is prepared, the less 'collateral damage', from hungry people, looters, and panic. Do you really think that it can't happen? Well, neither did the people of Louisiana. And that was just a storm...no plague-like illness...the rest of the world was perfectly fine.
                      http://thissmallfrenchtown.blogspot.com/
                      http://thefrenchneighbor.blogspot.com/

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                      • #12
                        Re: So I found this dead bird, see

                        Rather than letting this topic morph into another debate over bird flu, feel free to tackle the looming threat of a pandemic in a pre-existing thread:Thanks, Steve, for sharing your experience.

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                        • #13
                          Re: So I found this dead bird, see

                          You know, I did a search for "bird flu" when I was trying to decide where to put my original post, and that first one didn't turn up! I saw the "Deadly Flu Virus" one and decided it didn't fit there, but either I missed it or the search function did.

                          Huh.
                          http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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                          • #14
                            Re: So I found this dead bird, see

                            Originally posted by admin
                            Rather than letting this topic morph into another debate over bird flu, feel free to tackle the looming threat of a pandemic in a pre-existing thread:Thanks, Steve, for sharing your experience.
                            Okay....but perhaps someone could find out what to do, with a dead, or sick bird (or dog, or cat, or probably a mongoose, or pig, cause they can get it, too)(and maybe freshwater fish).
                            http://thissmallfrenchtown.blogspot.com/
                            http://thefrenchneighbor.blogspot.com/

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                            • #15
                              Re: So I found this dead bird, see

                              This Kokua Line column (Star-Bulletin) discusses what to do with dead birds.

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