My feet squished on a mat freshly doused in disinfectant. After stepping through, I turned to make sure my cart's wheels were coated on all sides as it rolled over the mat. Another mat awaited us at the elevator entrance. As the elevator moved us down to the basement, I slipped disposable shoe covers over my feet. I stepped one more time through a mat of disinfectant before finally arriving at The Raptor Center's clinic doors.
Aldo, Carson, and I had made the 3-hour drive to St. Paul for their annual vet visits. While the route from the Center's front doors to the clinic was very familiar to me, the biosecurity protocols were a new addition since the emergence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) last year. HPAI is nearly always fatal to raptors, so The Raptor Center is doing everything they can to prevent the disease from entering the building.
HPAI could enter on someone's shoes, so The Raptor Center implemented the strict shoe disinfection sequence for anyone entering the building. The disease could also be introduced by one of the many wild, injured birds that veterinarians treat in the clinic. To reduce that risk, any incoming birds go through a quarantine period. That means staff and equipment don't travel back and forth between wild birds and education birds.
During Carson's exam, I noticed all of the equipment, from stethoscope and talon trimmers to handling gloves and foot moisturizing cream, were clearly labeled "CLIENT." These tools would only be used for client birds like Carson.
The new protocols seemed like a lot of hassle, but I appreciated The Raptor Center's care in ensuring that their birds - and Aldo and Carson - stay safe from a deadly disease.