The Suffolk County Department of Health announced late Tuesday that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, known as “bird flu,” has been found in a commercial poultry flock in Suffolk County.
The owners of the Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue, the last remaining duck farm on Long Island, told the website riverheadlocal.com this morning that the outbreak is occurring at their farm, where they are in the process of euthanizing all their birds.
“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.
The health department reports that the farm has been quarantined and no workers there have shown symptoms of having contracted the illness, though they are being monitored this week by health department officials.
“The farm owner reported signs of illness in his flock early last week and test results from the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the detection of H5N1 on Friday, January 17,” according to the Health Department. “The Suffolk County Department of Health Services is working closely with the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management and the New York State Department of Health. The department is in contact with the farm owner, who reported on Friday that none of the potentially exposed workers was ill. This week, staff will begin interviewing potentially exposed workers and providing H5N1 testing and preventive medications to those at high risk.”
The health department reports there have been no human cases of avian influenza in New York.
The county health department reported the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection service are also “on site at the farm advising on depopulating, cleaning and disinfection activities.”
The health department urges commercial and hobby poultry farmers “to increase their biosecurity measures to help prevent the spread of the H5N1virus.”
To learn more about biosecurity measures, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/animals/poultry
Avian influenza has been detected in wild birds and poultry in New York since 2022.
“Since March 2024, the USDA has confirmed that cows on dairy farms in multiple states have tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza. The virus has also been found in raw (unpasteurized) milk and secretions from the noses of cows on these farms,” according to the health department.
To report sick or dead birds, call the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at 518.457.3502 for poultry, or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at 518.478.2203 for wild birds.
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