State has veterinarian shortage as it responds to avian flu

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaii Department of Agriculture has a shortage of veterinarians as it responds to avian flu in Hawaii for the first time.
Hawaii became the last state in the nation to have confirmed cases of avian flu. Officials first discovered it at a Wahiawa duck sanctuary and then in a wild duck at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku.
It’s believed the virus may have come to Hawaii through birds that migrate to the islands.
“Now that we have confirmed it in the wild bird population, you cannot say that it is here or it is there. It is basically everywhere you see wild birds,” said Sharon Hurd, Board of Agriculture chair.
The Department of Agriculture has only seven veterinarians responding to avian flu along with other animal diseases — five on Oahu, one on Maui and one on Hawaii Island — but the department needs four more veterinarians.
“On the job they’ve been doing as much testing as they can and mostly outreach. They’ve been trying to let the public know how to identify, what to do, how to react. If you see dead birds, don’t touch it with your hands,” said Hurd.
Pay ranges from roughly $71,000 to nearly $123,000 per year.
Hurd says the department is hoping to launch a new program that would recategorize the veterinarian jobs so they could get higher pay that’s more competitive with the private sector.
“They’re on a different pay scale and the idea would be to attract the people that really want to do work with the government to help public service, but need to make a living at the same time,” said Hurd.
So far, no chickens have been infected with the disease. Hurd says if a poultry farm were to get an infection, the department would need more funding to help euthanize and properly dispose of the birds along with more protective gear, but she says farms have been good about preventing the virus from impacting our food.
The state health department has a FAQ on avian flu here.
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