Health agency warns of nátasjúka as gannet season begins

The Heilsufrøðiliga starvsstovan health agency is reminding people to take precautions against nátasjúka as the gannet-hunting season begins, KVF reports. Six cases have been recorded in the Faroe Islands since 1991, with the most recent in 2017.

People who hunt gannets should wear oilskin clothing and wash it, along with any other clothing worn during the hunt, thoroughly afterwards. Hands should also be washed carefully during and after hunting.

The illness usually begins four to 14 days after infection. Typical symptoms include pneumonia with chills and a fever of 39 degrees, a dry cough and headache. The person may feel unwell and often become confused.

In some cases, the illness develops gradually and can be so mild that the infected person barely feels ill.

Gannets that appear sick, thin or unwell should not be hunted, the agency said. Once a bird has been plucked, scalded or skinned, the risk of infection is low or nonexistent. The bacterium that causes nátasjúka is killed by heat treatment, so it is eliminated when the bird is boiled or roasted.

For birds sold commercially, the agency recommends that they be scalded or plucked and gutted. They may also be skinned.