Hello, Tweets!

Herb is the Science Advisor for Seattle Audubon. (He is momentarily
off-line.) Here is his take on the issue:

Marlene Penry, Ocean Shores WA, mapste at coastaccess.com wrote:

<< I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts or has seen anything written
specifically on birdfeeding and West Nile Virus. A neighbor is
panicking about WNV and wants me to take down my birdfeeders and
birdbaths. He says birds carry WNV so he doesn't want me to attract
birds here. It is my understanding that the disease does not transmit
from bird to bird, or bird to human.

Do we cause any increased risk to birds or humans by feeding birds? Do
we potentially attract infected birds, which are bitten by mosquitoes
which then bite and infect other birds or humans? I change my birdbath
water every 1-2 days so I don't think I have a standing water problem.
Do we cause any increased risk by providing water to birds?

I'd love to see education on natural types of mosquito control, not just
the DEET repellant that the health departments are recommending.>>

Herb: There is no reason to panic. West Nile Virus is carried by
corvids (jays, crows, magpies) in particular, and can kill them and
raptors. Mosquitoes transmit the disease to other birds, horses and
humans. So far, 111 species of birds have been killed by WNV in the
midwest. Bird feeding will not accelerate spread of the disease. It is
spreading naturally, by itself. The best protection is reduce standing
water, check bird baths for mosquitoe larvae, and avoid being bitten.
Most birds have ready access to water, anyway. There are no cases of
infected birds or humans in Washington state, but it will arrive here,
possibly next spring. King County and the State Health Departments will
not support spraying. They will use larvicides on selected bodies of
water. In general, avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, using protective
clothing, especially at dawn and dusk.

Rob McNair-Huff, rob at whiterabbits.com wrote:

<<This is a great topic, and one I would like to see additional
information about as well. From what I have read so far, there is no
transmission of West Nile Virus (WNV) from birds to humans, though I am
not sure if it can pass from bird to bird. It is this latter
possibility that could make birds that use feeders more suceptible to
WNV, though it needs to be noted that WNV is mostly affecting specific
species - crows, hawks, owls, and I believe that is is causing problems
with bats as well.

The best thing anyone can do to fight the spread of WNV is to make sure
that there is no puddled water around your property - no buckets or
other containers that hold stagnant water, and make sure that any tarps
being used are not holding water that could be used as a breeding ground
for mosquitoes.

People should do all that they can to eliminate these artificial
mosquito breeding waters before the public panic caused by WNV results
in widespread spraying, which is my greatest fear aside from worry about
bird species with the virus.>>

Herb: The foregoing is absolutely correct, aside from the remark about
bats. So far, there have been no reports of bat mortality due to WNV
transmitted by mosquitoes. It's usually the other way around.
--
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Ellen Blackstone Everything connects...
Seattle Washington absolutely everything.
mailto:ellenb at 123imagine.net --Hazel Wolf, 1898-2000