[Nhcoll-l] Dealing with Bird flu specimens

[Schultz, Eric]

We have in fact been refusing salvage specimens. We are preparing skins from a backlog of salvage we saved from before bird flu pandemic began. Salvage in the freezer for the period when we were taking salvage but the bird flu was afoot is awaiting our decision to destroy or have tested at a Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab here. Preparers are wearing PPE of course.


Eric Schultz
Professor Emeritus
Director of Vertebrate Collections, BRC<https://biodiversity.uconn.edu/>
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology<https://eeb.uconn.edu/>
University of Connecticut<https://uconn.edu/>
Treasurer, Southern New England Chapter<https://snec.fisheries.org/>, American Fisheries Society<https://fisheries.org/>


From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Penck, Maya (SAM)
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Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Dealing with Bird flu specimens

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OFFICIAL

Dear All,
H5N1 has hit Australian shores for the first time with several confirmed cases in the last week, and so far has been restricted to seabirds. It is inevitable that it will spread now.
I'd like to ask how others at museums have dealt with incoming specimens. Presumably you have not outright refused donated birds and mammals which may be infected? How have you dealt with processing animals, and with taking and storing tissues? Were the animals tested beforehand?

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Maya Penck
Collection Manager, Ornithology (Mon/Tues/Thu/Fri)
South Australian Museum
North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
P: +61 (8) 8273 9151
maya.penck at samuseum.sa.gov.au<mailto:maya.penck at samuseum.sa.gov.au>

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