Lake County resident urges bird-flu preparedness as CDC reports U.S. death

Haji Wharf, a resident of Upper Lake, told the Lake County Board of Supervisors during public comment that the county should adopt a formal plan to respond to highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the first U.S. human death linked to the virus.

Wharf said Clear Lake’s role as a stop for migratory waterfowl makes the county vulnerable and outlined specific measures he said the county should adopt. “Set up a hotline for reporting dead birds,” Wharf said. He also urged a public-awareness task force, designated staff to retrieve sick or dead birds with training and appropriate personal protective equipment such as disposable hazmat suits, full-face masks and gloves, and a dedicated incinerator site for carcass disposal.

Wharf warned that neurologic symptoms are often the first sign of infection in birds and that the virus can persist in soil and droppings, arguing that burial is not a safe disposal method. “Burying birds suspected of having bird flu is not a good idea as the virus lives in the soil for weeks,” he said.

The comment occurred during the board’s public input item; the chair reiterated that public comment items do not prompt an immediate board response and that the board would not provide substantive discussion on items not on the agenda. The chair suggested commenters expect a reply via email.

The remarks were a request for preparedness measures and did not include an identified motion or board action. No county staff replied on the record during the public-comment period about current county plans or budgets for the measures Wharf recommended.