To Contain Diseases, Public Asked to Report Dead Birds

According to this article, residents of Hawaii are being asked to help prevent the spread of avian influenza and the West Nile virus by reporting unusual dead birds to authorities. In an effort to make the reporting of dead birds easy for the public, the state Department of Health and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service have collaborated to provide a state-wide phone number, 211, and a website, www.gotdeadbird.org.

According to the article, trained Aloha United Way operators will answer 211 calls, ask questions to find out whether the bird is appropriate for testing, and send trained agency staff to pick up the bird. The website contains information about bird flu and the West Nile virus, and provides photographs to help people to identify particular birds.