Why are field samplers dressed in protective clothing?
In order to collect samples from live birds, samplers must handle many active wild birds and are exposed to various bodily fluids for an extended period of time. This amount of exposure differs substantially from brief contact by a hunter picking up a harvested game bird. However, hunters are routinely advised to take precautions against a variety of diseases carried by wild animals by wearing rubber gloves when handling and/or field dressing game animals; not eating, drinking or smoking while cleaning game; washing hands with soap and water or alcohol wipes immediately after handling game or cleaning bird feeders; washing tools and work surfaces used to clean game birds with soap and water, then disinfecting with a 10 percent solution of chlorine bleach; separating raw meat and anything it touches from cooked or ready-to-eat foods to avoid contamination; cooking game meat thoroughly, to an internal temperature of 155 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit; and not handling or harvesting birds that
