Over 100,000 birds euthanized at Long Island farm to contain bird flu outbreak

Over 100,000 birds were euthanized at a poultry farm on Long Island to prevent the spread of bird flu, FOX 5 NY's Jodi Goldberg confirmed. 

Suffolk County Department of Health officials confirmed on Wednesday the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also known as H5N1 or bird flu, on a farm in Suffolk County.

When was bird flu detected on Long Island?

Timeline:

The Suffolk County farm owner reported signs of illness in his flock early last week and test results from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the detection of H5N1 on Friday, Jan. 17. 

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management and the New York State Department of Health have been in contact with the farm owner, who said that none of the potentially exposed workers were ill. 

Although workers may have been exposed, H5N1 is not known to be transmitted from human to human at this time and the risk to public health remains low, according to Suffolk County Health officials. 

What they're saying:

Suffolk County Health officials said staff are going to begin interviewing potentially exposed workers and provide testing and medication for those at high risk. 

"The risk to public health is minimal as the virus at this point is not transmissible among humans. A full investigation is underway because there is some potential for transmission of the H5N1 bird flu from the infected birds to individual farm workers who had high-risk exposures," said Dr. Gregson Pigott, Suffolk County Health Commissioner.

Staff are going to counsel the farm owner regarding preventative measures and exposures to employees. 

What is bird flu? 

The backstory:

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a viral infection primarily affecting birds, commonly originating from wild bird populations such as waterfowl and shorebirds. It is caused by influenza A viruses, which can infect domestic poultry and other bird species. 

While most strains of bird flu do not pose a significant threat to humans, some, such as H5N1 and H7N9, have caused severe illness and even death in humans. 

Transmission to humans typically occurs through direct contact with infected birds or their droppings, and while rare, it can lead to severe health complications. 

The Pekin or White Pekin is an American breed of domestic duck, raised primarily for meat. It derives from birds brought to the United States from China in the nineteenth century and is now bred in many parts of the world. It is often known as the Am

H5N1, initially recognized as a danger to humans during a 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong, emerged when individuals visiting live poultry markets contracted the virus.

Since then, sporadic outbreaks have occurred, resulting in over 450 deaths from bird flu infections in the last two decades, as reported by the World Health Organization. The primary mode of transmission for the majority of affected individuals is direct contact with birds.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that in the United States, highly pathogenic avian influenza has been found in over 9,000 wild birds and has impacted more than 82 million commercial poultry and backyard flocks since early 2022.

The Source: This article uses reporting from FOX News and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.

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