What we know about B.C. teen in critical condition after testing positive for bird flu
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River Otter Trapping Season Closes as Harvest Limit Reached
- Steve Jurrens
- Nov 13, 2024 Updated 16 hrs ago
- https://www.mykxlg.com/news/state/river-otter-trapping-season-closes-as-harvest-limit-reached/article_8ef8cfc4-a22d-11ef-ad8f-237fa3697d04.html
{KXLG – South Dakota} The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP) has announced the closure of the 2024 river otter trapping season after the harvest limit of 20 otters was reached on November 12 at 3:30 p.m. Central Time. The trapping season, which began at sunrise on November 1, marked the fifth season in the state since its initiation in 2020.
Furbearer license holders now have until November 13 at 3:30 p.m. Central Time (24 hours since the season closed) to report any river otters trapped in existing traps to GFP by calling 605-353-7319. Capturing river otters by hunting is illegal now that the harvest limit has been reached.
If a trapped river otter is alive, the trapper must immediately release it and notify a GFP representative. If the river otter is found dead in a trap, the trapper must leave it undisturbed and contact a GFP representative within 12 hours. All river otter pelts must be tagged through the eyeholes with a CITES tag provided by GFP within five days of harvest, and the carcass must be surrendered to GFP.
Possession, purchase, or sale of raw river otter pelts is only permitted if GFP tags them or, if taken from another jurisdiction, properly tagged with a tag supplied by the issuing governmental entity. If no tag is issued, other proof of lawful take is required.
For more information about the river otter season, please visit the GFP website at gfp.sd.gov/river-otter/.
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What we know about B.C. teen in critical condition after testing positive for bird flu
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State wildlife commission approves new wolf trapping regulations
Montana Public Radio | By Ellis Juhlin
Published November 14, 2024 at 3:17 AM MST
In Ravalli County, trappers no longer have to set their snares and traps a certain distance away from roads that are closed during the winter — except for four roads identified as major recreation areas, including Skalkaho Pass Road.
Region 2 Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Jeff Burrows, proposed the changes. In Tuesday’s commission meeting, he said trappers in the Bitterroot needed more opportunities to set traps to make up for the now shorter season.
The move was supported by outfitting and guiding groups, trappers, and pro-wolf hunting groups. Will Israel with the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association praised Burrows for his collaboration
“Predator management is ecosystem management, and so when it comes to managing the big game species and all the different species that exist within each one of our regions, predator management is key,” Israel said.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks did not request the change.
Anti-trapping groups and wildlife advocacy groups opposed the change, saying it could result in people, dogs and non-targeted wildlife getting hurt. KC York with Trap Free Montana said the proposals favored trappers at a cost to grizzlies, and public safety.
“People that are heavily involved in outdoor recreation in Ravalli County say 16 public trails, 16 roads will be impacted.”
In addition to the Ravalli County-specific changes, the commission passed regulations to shorten the trapping season in a court-approved zone that overlaps with grizzly habitat, and require a new permit for trapping animals within that zone. Additional regulations would take effect ifa grizzly bear were to be found caught in a trap.
Grizzly bears are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, but that may change as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide on delisting two subpopulations of bears early in 2025.
The Commission will reconsider all these regulations next August for the 2025-2026 season.
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B.C. teen with avian flu is in critical condition, provincial health officer says
Teenager from Fraser Valley is 1st person to have contracted virus in Canada
CBC News · Posted: Nov 12, 2024 12:00 PM PST | Last Updated: November 12
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The teenager who tested positive for avian flu is in critical condition and being treated for acute respiratory distress at B.C. Children’s Hospital, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says.
Henry says the teen, the first presumptive human case of avian flu contracted in Canada, was admitted to hospital late Friday.
Their condition “varied” over the weekend, Henry said, adding “our thoughts continue to be with this person and their family.”
Henry said work underway to confirm the diagnosis and trace potential sources of exposure through the B.C. Centre for Disease Control had given her “confidence” that the teen has H5 avian influenza, also known as bird flu.
WATCH | B.C. teen tests positive for avian flu — a first in Canada:
B.C. detects 1st presumptive human case of avian flu caught in Canada
4 days ago
Duration4:44British Columbia health officials said Saturday they are investigating what’s believed to be the first human case of avian influenza caught in Canada after a teenager tested presumptively positive for the disease. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist, breaks down what this means and what precautions people can take.
She says it’s likely that the teenager contracted the illness from exposure to an animal or the environment, although there’s a “very real possibility” that the source will never be found.
Henry said privacy considerations restrict what can be said publicly about the teen, but said they did not have any underlying medical conditions.
The teen first went to the emergency department on Nov. 2 and was tested and sent home, but returned to hospital days later when symptoms worsened.
Henry said contact tracing has been conducted on 35 to 40 of the teen’s family members, friends and acquaintances.
“We have not identified anyone else that is sick with the virus in B.C. right now,” she said. “We don’t see right now that there’s a risk of a lot of people getting sick.”
She said the teen was not in school during the infectious period of the disease, which roughly began on Oct. 31, two days before the onset of symptoms.
She said the teen has no links to people who had recently travelled to Southeast Asia, which has seen outbreaks.
According to Henry, the teen did not have any contact with birds but did interact with a variety of other animals — including a dog, cats and reptiles — in the days before becoming ill. Henry said testing on those animals has so far been negative for the virus.
No detected link to poultry farm outbreaks
She said no links have been found between the teen and local farms — including the two dozen B.C. poultry farms that have suffered avian flu outbreaks during the fall migration of wild birds. No links have been found to outbreaks taking place across the border in Washington state, she added.
Henry said the case is still being called a “presumptive positive” because it has to be confirmed at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, which could happen later on Tuesday.
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Infectious disease specialist Dr. Brian Conway said the virus can spread through direct contact with a sick animal, as had been the case with cattle workers in the U.S.
“There’s 40 or so [human] cases that occurred in the United States with dairy cattle,” he said. “It is [spread by] aerosol, by touch. We can take non-human examples of cats that got it from drinking the contaminated milk from an infected cow.”
Human infections rare
While avian influenza infections in humans are rare, Health Canada says symptoms can range from mild to severe, potentially leading to pneumonia, organ failure and even death.
Since 1997, over 900 human cases have been reported globally, primarily in Asia and Africa, with about half of them resulting in death, according to Health Canada.
WATCH | First human case of avian flu found in Canada:
Teen has Canada’s 1st presumptive human avian flu case
3 days ago
Duration2:42A B.C. teen is being treated in hospital for a presumptive case of avian flu, the first known case contracted in Canada. Officials are working to find the source of exposure and follow up with any contacts.
However, the government cautions this fatality rate may be overestimated, as mild infections can often go undetected and underreported.
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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says that, as of Nov. 10, 23 sites in B.C. — mostly commercial poultry operations — are actively dealing with avian flu infections.
Over 6.4 million birds in the province are estimated to have been affected.
With files from Karin Larsen and The Canadian Press
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