The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced Thursday that it had five preliminary positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, in Suffolk County.
More dead birds across Long Island await testing.
According to DEC, snow geese and two duck species have tested positive. Test results from a half-dozen Canada Geese and other birds found in Huntington. It’s not clear where the other tested birds came from.
Bird flu is endemic to wild birds, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation says there is no way to contain infection in those animals. Clinical signs may be similar to other diseases or injuries or nonspecific.
Long Island dealt with a bird flu outbreak early last year. It forced the culling of 100,000 ducks at one farm. By the end of February, dozens of dead or symptomatic birds were found in East Patchogue. No human cases were reported.
While bird-to-human transmission has been rare, the avian flu can spread through direct contact with the saliva, secretions, or feces of an infected animal. Viral particles in the air can spread it; so can consuming raw food and milk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the overall public health risk remains low.
Intermittent human cases have been reported worldwide since 1997, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Reports in the United States date back to 2022. Most of those who got sick had direct or close contact with infected poultry or dairy cows without using adequate protective equipment.
Since then, the CDC says it started using its flu surveillance system to monitor for bird flu infections in people. The agency also monitors people with animal exposures. It says there haven’t been any known cases of person-to-person spread.
Mammals can also be infected. Last March, in New York City, as many as three cases of bird flu were found in pet cats, two of which died. The health department linked those cases to a brand of raw pet food and issued a public health warning.
How many people get bird flu?
Nationally, the CDC says it has confirmed 71 cases and two deaths since 2024. The closest any of those cases came to the tri-state was Ohio. There was no known person-to-person transmission, and the overall risk to the public remains low, the agency says.
According to the NYC Health Department, felines can contract bird flu by eating infected birds, drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk, and eating raw pet food. Owners should look out for signs of fever, runny nose, water eyes, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and behavioral changes.
To reduce the risk of getting infected themselves, cat owners are advised to avoid handling sick or dead birds, wash their hands thoroughly after handling pets, livestock or poultry, and to change clothes and shoes after coming in contact with potentially infected animals.
Louisiana reported the first human bird flu death in the United States in January 2025.
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