Avain flu and small song birds

[Anonymous]

Might I expect to find bird flu at the wild bird feeders. Is the flu limited to fowl?…….What about tit-mice and chic-a-dees, etc.

[Martin W]

As yet, h5n1 known in only relatively few wild birds (evidently thousands at one site, perhaps hundreds in total elsewhere; all in Eurasia – this despite millions around)
Ten or so songbirds tested positive in Thailand recently; all in vicinity of farms that prone to h5n1 before (so my guess: they fed at/around these farms)

Studies of regular, wild bird flus (appear harmless to birds; no problem to people) have found them commonest in waterfowl. Seems sensible to me: transmission via faeces, which not easy for a lot of birds.

So, no real reason for concern re those birds at your feeders, unless is huge surge of h5n1 into regular birds (and even then, this is a bird disease, not readily to humans).
[can say chance not exactly zero; but tiny, maybe like worrying a meteor might strike you whilst putting out bird food! Maybe remember, too, I’m writing in Hong Kong, where oversease news reports might suggest is already sizzling hot with h5n1 in wild birds as part of Asia – this autumn, not one case (so far!)]
So far, the media hoopla is enormous, actual h5n1 impact outside poultry industry small. Fear has spread fast, though.

[Author]

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