Many hunters are preparing for fall goose and duck season in North Dakota. As hunters prepare, they are encouraged to review biosecurity practices to protect domestic birds and livestock from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Positive cases of HPAI continue to be reported in wild birds, domestic birds and dairy cattle.

This risk of transmission increases during hunting season due to increased interactions with wild birds that may be carrying HPAI. North Dakota State University Extension specialists advise hunters who have contact with domestic poultry and livestock to be aware of what steps to take if they see sick or deceased wildlife.

“If you hunt game or wild birds and own domestic poultry or livestock, do not wear hunting clothes or footwear while you are interacting with your poultry or livestock,” says Dr. Jake Galbreath, NDSU Extension veterinarian.

The primary carriers of avian influenza A are waterfowl, gulls, terns and shorebirds. H5N1 HPAI has been detected in wild birds throughout all U.S. migratory flyways. Wild birds can be infected without showing symptoms of the infection. While waterfowl are the primary carriers, positive cases are documented in predatory birds and mammals.

Infected birds shed bird flu viruses in their saliva, mucus and feces.

All poultry or livestock owners, no matter the size, should practice appropriate biosecurity to protect their animals from HPAI.

“The best defense against HPAI is having a biosecurity plan in place,” says Mary Keena, NDSU Extension livestock environmental management specialist. “It is your job as an animal owner to create a line of separation between your clean animals and the potential unclean issues that wildlife or visitors may bring.”

Keena recommends the following biosecurity practices to consider implementing to reduce the risk to domestic birds:

• After walking in fields or wetlands while hunting, be sure to change clothing and footwear before crossing the clean/dirty line to care for animals.
• Do not walk through or drive trucks, tractors or equipment through areas where waterfowl or other wildlife feces may be. If unavoidable, clean shoes, vehicles and equipment thoroughly to prevent transferring disease.
• Field dress game birds when possible to reduce the potential for disease transfer.
• Plucking/skinning should be done in the field, with feathers properly bagged and disposed of before returning to a site with domestic birds.
• Knives, coolers and other equipment should be washed with disinfecting soap away from sites where birds have access, and they should thoroughly dry.
• If visitors will be interacting with poultry or livestock, learn where they have been, require them to wash their hands and ensure their clothes and footwear are clean and disinfected.
• Reduce the attractiveness for wild birds to visit the property by cleaning up litter and spilled feed around animal housing areas.
• If raising free-range guinea fowl and waterfowl, consider bringing them into coops or flight pens under nets to prevent interaction of domesticated poultry with wild birds and their droppings.

Nonlethal methods to deter wildlife are available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service’s nonlethal initiative webpage: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife-services/about/nonlethal.

Avian influenza surveillance and testing in wild birds is being done by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Report sick and dead wildlife at https://bit.ly/mortality-report. Direct wild bird avian influenza questions to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at 701-204-2161.

Avian influenza is a zoonotic disease, meaning there is a chance it can be transferred to humans.

“While this risk is low, hunters of wild birds are more likely to have increased exposure to the virus, which may increase risk of infection,” says Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if handling wild birds or sick or dead poultry cannot be avoided, minimize direct contact by wearing gloves and washing hands with soap and water after touching birds. If available, wear respiratory protection such as a medical facemask.

After handling wild birds, discard the gloves and facemask, change clothing, disinfect footwear and then wash hands with soap and water.

“Remember that if you have contact with infected material, you can spread a virus to other surfaces by touch, which can then be picked up by other people or animals,” says Galbreath. “Seemingly minor interactions have the potential to spread disease.”

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department suggests the following practices to reduce risk of infection:

• Do not handle game that is found dead or appears to be sick.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning game, and avoid contamination in eyes, mouth, nose or any open cuts or sores with blood or other fluids from game being cleaned.
• Wash hands, cleaning utensils and other surfaces with soap and hot water immediately after cleaning game.

There is no evidence that anyone has contracted the virus from eating properly cooked bird, either domestic or wild, according to Galbreath. It is always a safe practice to fully cook wild game to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, regardless of the threat of HPAI.

More information about HPAI and handling wild birds is available:

• NDSU Extension: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza – ndsu.ag/ndsuhpai
• NDSU Extension: Care and Handling of Game Birds – ndsu.ag/gamebirds25
• North Dakota Game and Fish – https://bit.ly/nd-avian-influenza
• USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – https://bit.ly/usda-hpai

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Sept. 18, 2025

Source: Jake Galbreath 701-231-5738, j.galbreath@ndsu.edu

Source: Mary Keena, 701-652-2951, mary.keena@ndsu.edu

Source: Miranda Meehan, 701-231-7683, miranda.meehan@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu