New Jersey -- On the heels of a study released earlier this year from the National Wildlife Health Center, comes a another study on the public health implications of Canada geese. This study was carried out by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. Both studies endorse the long standing view of infectious disease experts that the presence of Canada geese is NOT a significant public health issue.

The latest study entitled; "A survey to estimate the prevalence of Salmonellasp., Shigellasp., Yersiniasp. bacteria and Cryptosporidiumsp., Giardiasp. protozoa in resident Canada geese (Branta canadensis) in New Jersey" shows that scientific evidence does not support claims by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Wildlife Services, state wildlife agencies, and some local public health officials that "resident" or "urban" waterfowl pose a threat to human health.

Download study as 192K PDF file

Unfounded claims that geese are a public health risk have formed the principal justification offered by these agencies and officials for programs designed to control "resident" waterfowl populations using deadly force.

As scientific evidence mounts that Canada geese are not a public health issue, efforts to kill geese and policies encouraging the control of geese using lethality become increasingly inappropriate. This is especially true in light of growing precedent for the effectiveness of non-lethal control measures.

More information on Canada geese and public health.

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