The West Village Cat Sitter & Manhattan Kitties LLC

04/19/2025

"The West Village Cat Sitter & "Manhattan Kitties LLC"





 

04/18/2025

03/14/2025

02/20/2025

Here at the Wild Bird Fund, we began taking precautions against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in early 2022. We're still at it! And we continue to evolve and improve our prevention measures as the virus evolves and the situation changes. We're always working to protect our staff and volunteers, while continuing to care for the wildlife who need our help. We also want to make sure that members of our community stay safe.

At the clinic, we follow strict biosecurity protocols, including patient isolation, continual disinfection and use of PPE. We also work closely with Mt. Sinai and the NYC Health Department to track the virus.

HPAI, or avian influenza H5N1, is highly contagious among and deadly to poultry, including chickens and domestic ducks. It’s also been found in dairy cows. In the wild, HPAI primarily affects aquatic birds (geese, swans, ducks, shorebirds, gulls) and raptors, as well as some corvids (crows, ravens). And it has been found in some wild mammals.

Common songbirds and pigeons are still deemed low risk.

At this time, the CDC classifies the health risk to the general public as low, but there have been 68 cases in the U.S. We encourage you to visit the CDC website for the latest information on human risk and prevention measures (links below).

SAFETY TIPS:

🔸 Do not interact with waterfowl or raptors, especially any bird that appears unwell.

🔸 If you see a sick or injured bird from this group, please do not rescue it yourself. In an NYC park, call the Urban Park Rangers via 311. Outside of parks, call Animal Care Centers at 212-788-4000, option 8. You can also call or text WBF at 646-306-2862 for guidance.

🔸 If you handle *any* sick or injured birds, please wear gloves and a mask, and thoroughly disinfect everything afterwards, including any surfaces the bird touched.

🔸 Do not feed waterfowl (geese, swans, ducks, gulls). This causes them to congregate in large numbers, increasing the spread of disease.

🔸 Keep your dogs leashed and your cats inside. Do not let pets interact with or roam near waterfowl or poultry.

HELPFUL LINKS:

CDC avian flu prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/prevention/index.html

NYSDEC local info and avian flu reporting form: https://dec.ny.gov/nature/wildlife-health/animal-diseases

Avian flu and bird feeders (Cornell Lab): https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/avian-influenza-outbreak-should-you-take-down-your-bird-feeders/

Thank you ALL for your continued support of our precious NYC wildlife and of our work! Onward in health.😷