Date: 5/13/26 1:31 pm From: Keith Geluso via groups.io <gelusok1...> Subject: Re: [NEBirds] Splat!
Hi all, Being a professional mammalogist, I think Robin is safe from Hantaviruses with this exposure as I'm only aware of this virus in mammals and not birds. Now I really am sending this message to those of you that might be checking "bird boxes" such as blue birds, as mice will sometimes colonize them. Back in the 90s when the first "known" outbreak of hantavirus occurred and formally documented, it seemed that there were some bird enthusiasts that contracted hantaviruses from breathing in aerosolized fecal or urine matters when checking bluebird boxes. Might want to consider wearing a mask if there might be mice in those boxes. Love the posts, as always, Robin! keith
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Keith Geluso
Professor
Department of Biology
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, NE 68849
<gelusok1...>
308 865-8982
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From: <NEBirds...> <NEBirds...> on behalf of Don & Janis Paseka via groups.io <paseka76...>
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 2:20 PM
To: <NEBirds...> <NEBirds...>
Subject: Re: [NEBirds] Splat!
Bill and I were looking for birds at the Pender sewage lagoons recently. I was entering the birds that I saw on the ebird mobile app when ... SPLAT! Bird poop on the screen. We looked around and noticed that we were standing directly below a powerline with swallows perched upon it. I wonder if it was intentional or just luck. We moved out of harm's way. We'll need to be more careful next time.
