More Dead Birds Found in Southern Illinois? Nope, Just a Hoax

According to a local news source, a southern Illinois health department is investigating more dead birds, this time in Saline County. On January 7, Disclosure News Online reported that Egyptian Health Department, which covers Saline County in southern Illinois, received several calls about dead birds on Mt. Moriah Road, which is located near Galatia, Illinois. As it turns out, the dead birds was a hoax in which some unknown person and persons made multiple phone calls to local health officials.

This hoax comes after dead birds have been reported in Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Kentucky, Sweden, New Zealand and Italy. Saline County is directly east of and contiguous with Williamson County, where three households in rural Marion found dead birds in early December and just before New Year's Day (not a hoax).

Findings of dead birds in Illinois should be reported to local health departments. The health departments may send someone to collect the bird carcasses for testing. West Nile Virus is a threat in Illinois and dead birds are typically tested for West Nile and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Crows are very sensitive to West Nile Virus and according to a fact sheet from the Illinois Department of Public Health, they "provide an early warning system for detecting West Nile virus activity in a community." State and local health officials usually test dead birds for West Nile. IDPH recommends testing of dead birds found between May 1 and the end of October as mosquito viruses are typically spread during warm weather.

Wildlife deaths are not as unusual as most people think, according to an article from the Associated Press. Such deaths often go unnoticed and unreported. The recent reports of bird and fish deaths have raised awareness and even panic over the possible causes--which could simply be part of the natural order of things.

Illinois residents who find dead birds should contact their local health departments for instructions on having the birds collected for testing or disposing of them properly.