Swans falling victim to bird flu

Bird flu is nearing epidemic proportions. Photo: Tairo Lutter

People taking a stroll on Estonia’s sunbathed northern coast have been treated to shocking sights of dead and dying swans in recent days – bird flu is nearing epidemic proportions.

“There were reports of individual birds in February, while recent days have brought news of birds dying in masses from the Vääna-Jõesuu beach and the Pärispea peninsula in Harju Country,” said Elen Kurvits, chief specialist for the Agricultural and Food Board (PTA).

“It was mostly a very sad sight. Many did not have heads and necks and…” Leene Korp, who witnessed one such scene on Saturday, said. Korp lives in Pärispea, in Kuusalu Rural Municipality.

She said that the coastline around Hara and Eru bays on both sides of the Purekkari Cape had dozens of dead swans and a number who were near death.

“It was quite difficult to see the carcasses between white pieces of ice,” Korp said. “I usually noticed them from just five or six meters away unless a fox or other predator had been there and left the scene bloody. There was a stretch of floating ice some 50 meters wide parts of which could be walked on where I looked for them on Saturday. The ice started moving on Sunday and I do not know where it could be today as I had to drive to work in Tartu.”

Jaanika Oks noticed a dying swan on the nearby Pähkneeme coast. “But there were at least five more dead swans on the Purekkari Cape,” Oks noted. “The kids and I were out for a stroll and we wondered why there were so many dead swans.” On Tuesday, she read on social media that the birds likely died of bird flu and that they should have been reported to the PTA.

Not enough hands to remove carcasses

“I often go to the beach and have seen more dead and dying birds than usual recently,” said Vääna-Jõesuu resident Tiia Mänd.

She said that she notified the PTA of two dead swans on Friday and an official showed up and removed the carcasses on Saturday. Soon after, Mänd spotted a still living but clearly sickly swan on the beach. The PTA employee also removed that bird. “They confirmed that the swan had bird flu on Monday,” Mänd said.

The woman found another three dead swans on the beach on Monday. “I notified the PTA immediately,” she said. “The PTA employee told me that they removed at least 14 dead birds from Laulasmaa and Kersalu. And that there are so many reports of dead swans that the PTA cannot stay on top of removal efforts for lack of resources.”

Tiia Mänd said she is worried that if the carcasses are not moved quickly enough, eagles might feast on them, catch the virus and pass it on to other birds. Dogs, foxes etc. also come into contact with the carcasses and could pass the virus on.

“The PTA said that ordinary citizens are not allowed to collect dead birds,” Mänd said. “They expressed hope that local governments could be involved. But a solution needs to be found quickly before the situation gets out of hand.”

Mänd said she would be willing to pick up the dead birds and place them in trash bags wearing a mask and gloves, as well as transport them to PTA designated locations if it was allowed.

Tiia Mänd also said she believes it is important to inform people so they would know to report the dead birds. “Stopping the spread of bird flu is obviously a matter of utmost urgency,” she found. “We need to discuss how local residents, local governments and volunteers could help.”

Municipality government unaware of the problem

Environmental specialist for the Harku Rural Municipality Lembe Reiman first learned of swans who had died of bird flu from Postimees. “I don’t really know what to say. Solving such a problem is not in the capacity of the local government, which is also the case concerning dead animals where hunters usually lend a hand.”

Kaarel Võhandu, head of the Estonian Ornithological Society, had also not heard of the bird flu epidemic among swans. “I cannot say anything beyond that people should follow PTA recommendations and report any dead birds they find,” he said. “Because the season of feeding Passeriformes just ended, people could wash their birdhouses with soap and water to stop the infection from spreading.”

Bird protection specialist for the society Veljo Volke added that bird flu is the biggest threat for geese and swans, while it also spreads rapidly among dabbling and diving ducks.

A highly infectious and deadly disease

The Agricultural and Food Board first reported bird flu in Estonia on February 12.

“We have tested 37 waterfowl and woodland birds for bird flu this year (as of March 1),” Elen Kurvits said. “The mute swan found on the Kopli Peninsula in Tallinn (Feb. 12) tested positive for the H5N8 strain of the flu. Another mute swan from the beach in Vääna-Jõesuu (tested on Feb. 27) and a mallard found in the village of Pringi in Viimsi (tested on Feb. 23) died of the bird flu, while the specific strains of the virus are still being identified. It is important to note that we do not have the results for all samples taken last week at this time.

People calling the PTA information number have mostly reported swans but also egrets, seagulls, cormorants and other smaller waterfowl and birds of prey. Most calls are from Harju and Lääne Viru Counties and Saaremaa.

Bird flu is counted among extremely dangerous animal maladies and causes widespread illness and death.

“Because there are no vaccines or treatment for the disease, domestic birds need to be kept indoors. If any take ill, the birds need to be executed and feed, farm tools, waste and other materials that could be infected need to be either treated or destroyed. All of these activities are subject to PTA supervision. New birds can be housed after a complete cleanup and disinfection,” said Olev Kalda, head of the board’s animal health and welfare department.

Bird flu has been diagnosed in 27 EU member states and a total of 3.5 million domestic birds have been killed or died as a result this year.