February 07, 2025
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Bird flu spreading among geese, poultry across Starved Rock Country

Poultry owners should take precautions to protect their flock

By Michael Urbanec
Geese and their goslings gather in a field on April 1, 2020 at the Starved Rock Marina.

Geese and their goslings gather in a field on April 1, 2020, at the Starved Rock Marina. “Ducks are spreaders of (bird flu) but waterfowl like geese are the ones being affected a lot,” said Sgt. Phil Wire of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police.

Canada geese in Will County were submitted for sampling March 2 and the test confirmed bird flu is again spreading in Illinois, and should be a concern for poultry owners across La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties.

Sgt. Phil Wire with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police said it’s devastating for poultry farms and anywhere with a heavy population of birds.

“Ducks are spreaders of it but waterfowl like geese are the ones being affected a lot,” Wire said.

Traffic stops for geese in Peru. Waterfowl, such as geese, are affected by avian flu. (NewsTribune file photo)

Wire said officials are working right now to minimize the spread, but if there’s a population spreading it, those birds have to be depopulated to stop it.

The IDNR said in a news release anyone who owns birds or is involved in poultry production needs to be aware and take precautions to protect their flocks. They should also review their biosecurity plans and prevent contact with wild birds and their droppings, along with keeping birds indoors whenever possible.

“A lot of poultry farms, even private farms that have chickens may have to be depopulated,” Wire said. “That’s what we’re concerned with most right now.”

The IDNR said in a news release anyone who owns birds or is involved in poultry production needs to be aware and take precautions to protect their flocks. They should also review their biosecurity plans and prevent contact with wild birds and their droppings, along with keeping birds indoors whenever possible. (Shea Lazansky)

The virus strain is potentially deadly to commercial poultry. A 2015 bird flu outbreak killed 50 million birds across 15 states and cost the federal government nearly $1 billion. Within the past three days, the Associated Press reported accounts of bird flu killing flocks of poultry in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the recent bird flu cases do not present an immediate public health concern, according to the Associated Press.

Flock owners, managers or veterinarians should report any unusual findings on domestic poultry, such as increase in mortality, decrease in water consumption, decrease in egg production, or respiratory signs including coughing and sneezing immediately to the Illinois Department of Agriculture at 217-782-4944 or the USDA office at 866-536-7593.

Goose hunters who have encountered sick or diseased wild birds should take measures to protect themselves, their poultry and their pets, as well, and can get more information by going to https://bit.ly/avianfluhunters.

Anyone who encounters five or more dead wild waterfowl, waterbirds or raptors in one location should contact their local IDNR district wildlife biologist or USDA Wildlife services at 1-866-486-3297. A wildlife biologist can be found at https://bit.ly/IDNRbiologists.