Bird Flu, feeding birds & hygene

[chris pp]

Bird Flu, feeding birds and hygiene.   The general view at present is that there is no reason not to feed birds in your garden if you wish to but it should be remembered that many wild birds always carry or suffer with a large number of diseases, viral and bacterial infections, salmonella being one. There are in fact as many as 150 different types of bird flu commonly to found in birds, most of these present no problem either to the birds themselves or to humans, but minor infections can occur.   So, by way of a reminder, even though I am sure that many people reading this are already aware of the need to follow sensible precautions . Always wash your hands after touching your bird table or other place where you feed birds.  Should you need to handle a bird wearing suitable gloves will help protect against infection via a scratch.   Best, Chris