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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: December 11, 2008
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402

DEM ASKS HUNTERS FOR HELP IN KEEPING RHODE ISLAND BIRD POPULATIONS FREE OF AVIAN INFLUENZA
Positive AI Sample from a Mallard Harvested in Providence County Spurs Department to Encourage Hunters to Submit Waterfowl Samples for Testing

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management's Division of Agriculture announces that a strain of avian influenza (bird flu) has been detected in a mallard harvested by a hunter in Providence County on November 28. The mallard was collected in Johnston and subsequently tested by the USDA, where it was found to be infected with the H5 strain of the avian influenza virus. However, it is NOT the same strain that has infected people in Asia and Europe since 2003, and there is no known significant health risk to people as a result of exposure to this virus, nor any associated food safety concerns.

However, this virus can be transmitted to other birds and has the ability to mutate into high pathogenic strains of the disease in birds, and thereby represents a significant risk to other wild birds and domestic poultry flocks.

In an effort to increase surveillance of the area where the infected mallard was collected, DEM's Division of Fish & Wildlife is requesting the cooperation of hunters in providing hunter-killed waterfowl. Interested hunters should contact the Division at 789-0281. Sampling does not require that the Division retain the carcass.

With the potential risk to poultry, DEM's Division of Agriculture is also encouraging farmers and others with poultry flocks in the vicinity of Johnston or in areas where wild migratory waterfowl congregate to call the Division for testing at 222-4700 ext. 4511.

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