Five dead geese found in Juva sent for bird flu tests

Five dead barnacle geese found on Sunday by Lake Jukajärvi in Juva, South Savo, have been sent for testing, Yle reports. The Finnish Food Authority will investigate their cause of death and check for avian influenza.

The discovery is the second involving dead geese in eastern Finland this month. More than 100 geese were found dead in North Karelia late in October, but their cause of death is not yet known.

Itä-Savo environmental health services said a veterinarian collected the birds soon after the report came in. As a precaution, the authority has contacted local poultry farms and advised producers to prevent their birds from coming into contact with wild birds. Test results are not yet available.

Officials say symptoms alone cannot confirm avian influenza. Testing may include checks for antibodies in blood, while a final diagnosis requires the virus to be detected in an animal’s secretions or tissues. The disease spreads readily from bird to bird, but transmission from wild animals to people is rare.

People should not touch dead or sick birds with bare hands and should keep pets away from them. Mass deaths among birds should be reported promptly to a municipal veterinarian.

Finland has recorded 19 avian influenza cases this year, with the latest in August, compared with 30 cases last year. Cases have been relatively uncommon in eastern Finland: the region recorded four last year and one so far this year.