Lubbock warns citizens not to handle sick, dead birds due to H5N1 risk

As birds make a pit stop in the Hub City on their normal migration path south for the winter, the City of Lubbock is issuing a warning when it comes to finding dead or sick birds.

According to a news release, Lubbock Public Health is urging citizens to avoid handling or touching sick or dead birds due to the circulation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, or H5N1) in wild birds across the country.

"While the risk to public health is currently considered low, close contact with infected birds or contaminated environments can lead to transmission," reads the release. "Everyone should avoid contact with sick or dead birds. HPAI is deadly to domestic poultry and can also cause severe illness and death in wild birds."

While it might be human nature to try to help the animals out, L