In recent weeks, about twenty reports of small birds that have died in Salmonella in Norrbotten and Västerbotten have come to the National Veterinary Institute.
– It doesn’t sound much overall. But it is very much about how many people report. It is a clear trend, says Henrik Uhlhorn, assistant state veterinarian at SVA.
Several cats have been infected
In Piteå there have also been several reports of cats that have become ill from salmonella from small birds – even people can be infected.
– If you see that it starts to die birds, you should keep track of your cat.
There are birds that carry salmonella bacteria. When they become weaker after winter, some of them become ill. Then they begin to secrete bacteria with the stool and infect other birds – for example in bird feeds.
Stop with bird feeding when infecting
According to Henrik Uhlhorn, you should use bird feeders who are designed so that the birds cannot go among the seeds and dirty. Then you should keep clean during the bird feed.
– If you get a spread of infection, you should stop the feed until the infection is gone.