Latest news with #FishandWildlifedivision
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Avian influenza present on P.E.I., but not a risk to general public, experts say
Prince Edward Islanders are being reminded to keep their distance from sick, dying or dead wildlife as avian influenza — commonly known as bird flu or H5N1 — continues to circulate on the Island. The virus has been present on the Island for years, and was recently confirmed to have infected a large number of dying and dead Canada geese in Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. "It serves as a reminder that the virus is out there and it is circling," said Dr. Jill Wood, P.E.I.'s chief veterinary officer. The highly contagious virus can be transmitted to birds and mammals, including humans. But the risk to the general public is low, Wood said. "That being said, we're certainly cautioning people not to approach sick wildlife or handle ill wildlife," she said. If someone needed to interact with sick or dead wildlife — like to remove a dead crow from their lawn, for example — Wood offered some advice: "Wear a mask, wear gloves, double bag it." She also added that it's best to use a shovel and not your hands. How the virus is spread The H5N1 virus is spread by contact with bodily fluids, including feces, said Marguerite Cameron, communicable disease epidemiologist at the Chief Public Health Office. While human infection is rare, it can occur through close contact with infected birds or heavily infected environments such as poultry farms, Cameron said. Using personal protective equipment — or PPE — is very important to reduce exposure, she said. Cameron said her advice to Islanders is to always keep distance from wild birds and wild animals. "Don't handle them, don't pick them up, don't feed them," she said. 'The virus is out there. It's something to be aware of but it's not something that should consume your life or make you anxious,' says Wade Sweet. (Taylor O'Brien/CBC) Islanders should also keep pets away from any animals that might be sick, dying or dead, as mammals can become infected by scavenging on dead birds, Cameron said. "That's why it's important for pet owners especially to make sure that their pets are not accessing any sick or dead animals," she said. If there is a dead bird or animal that Islanders feel concerned about, they can call the Forests, Fish and Wildlife division of the province's Department of Environment, Water and Climate Change. Staying safe and healthy In February, the Public Health Agency of Canada said it purchased 500,000 doses of a human vaccine to protect those most at risk of exposure to the virus. P.E.I. will have access to this stockpile, Cameron said, adding that there is an allocation framework and a risk assessment to determine eligibility. Currently, the national advisory committee on immunization does not have recommendations as to how the vaccine will be deployed more broadly, she said. What Islanders can do is ensure they are up to date with their seasonal flu vaccine, Cameron said. "While [seasonal flu] vaccine won't protect them against avian influenza, it will protect them from potentially getting a co-infection with avian influenza and seasonal flu," she said, adding that a co-infection could result in more critical illness. The two flu viruses could also exchange genetic material, which could potentially result in a new influenza strain, she said. "That is what we're really trying to avoid," she said. Cameron says her advice to Islanders is to always keep distance from wild birds and wild animals. (Taylor O'Brien/CBC) For Dr. Wade Sweet, a veterinarian at West Prince Veterinary Hospital, an avian influenza vaccine is something he said he would be interested in getting if it was offered. Until then, he relies on basic biosecurity measures such as wearing clean coveralls, boots and gloves when handling birds. For Islanders wondering about food safety, Sweet said cooked poultry, eggs and pasteurized dairy products are still safe to consume. "Anything you see that's in the grocery store, it's been pasteurized... it's not going to infect you," he said. It's important for pet owners especially to make sure that their pets are not accessing any sick or dead animals - Marguerite Cameron Sweet said the risk to the general public is low, and Islanders shouldn't be overly concerned. "The virus is out there. It's something to be aware of but it's not something that should consume your life or make you anxious," he said. "If the incidence of the virus increases, if we have more flocks that suddenly die, it'll be something to be more aware of. But for right now, it's something to know that it's there, but not be scared of."
CBC
21-03-2025
- Science
- CBC
P.E.I. wildlife groups boost number of trail cams tracking animals — including elusive river otters
Prince Edward Island wildlife groups are increasingly turning to technology to monitor what's happening in woods and streams across the Island. The Forests, Fish and Wildlife division has 40 cameras watching year-round for trends in wildlife species, including coyotes and foxes. "We get a lot of neat behavioural photos like coyotes looking at the camera," said Matt Ginn, wildlife biologist. "Also, we've got a few red fox with snowshoe hare, which is interesting. So we know that they're able to find snowshoe hare for food. "You get families of pheasants, grouse and Hungarian partridge." Ginn said the trail cameras are an important tool for wildlife officials. "These species haven't really been monitored, aside from fur-harvesting statistics, on P.E.I.," he said. "It's a good indicator of the presence of these species on the Island. "It's probably the best way so far that we've had to quantify their occupancy in certain areas and also look at changes in the colonization and extirpation rates." Ginn said they're starting to see some trends since 2020, including a slight decline in red fox numbers and an increase in coyotes. Return of river otters Meanwhile, eight more cameras were added this year to a project by watershed groups from Souris to Miminegash, looking for river otters. Due to hunting and habitat loss, river otters have been presumed extinct, or extirpated, on the Island since the early 1900s. There were only anecdotal reports of tracks and sightings until 2016, when an adult male otter was captured in a beaver trap in the Kensington area. The first camera was set up in the same area in 2019, and river otters have been seen in multiple photos since then. The Morell River Management Cooperative said it might have captured a river otter on its trail cam in March 2024, though the image isn't clear enough to confirm the species. "It was very exciting," said co-ordinator Hannah Murnaghan. "We wish it was a little closer to the camera, but we're holding out hope that we'll eventually capture one if they are in the watershed." While looking for evidence of otters, watershed groups get to observe lots of other birds and mammals. Having the cameras out just gives us a better understanding of what different species are using the riparian area, so that we can strategically plan our projects around that. The cameras are triggered by movement, so staff have to go through lots of photos to find the good ones. "It's always exciting to get to go through the footage in hopes that we do catch a river otter, but it usually is just the usual suspects of wildlife that we get," said environmental field technician Lily Corlett. "We have gotten really good images of species, [from] waterfowl to small mammals, like American mink and great blue herons." To safeguard the privacy of humans, Ginn said the province posts signs along with its trail cams, letting people know they are there, and both he and the Morell group said any photos captured of people or vehicles are deleted. The Morell group would like to get a few more trail cams, because it's a big watershed and they have lots of territory to cover. "Having the cameras out just gives us a better understanding of what different species are using the riparian area, so that we can strategically plan our projects around that and hopefully provide better habitat for them," Murnaghan said.
