Bird flu detected on Long Island farm. Health officials say risk to public remains minimal.
AQUEBOGUE, N.Y. -- A major bird flu outbreak has hit a Suffolk County poultry farm.
Dozens of state and federal agricultural workers dressed in biohazard suits, sanitized boots and gloves were assisting Wednesday in the euthanizing of an entire flock of 100,000 ducks at Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue, officials said.
Crescent, Long Island's last remaining duck farm, is now in quarantine and survival mode.
"They call it highly pathogenic avian influenza because it is really serious for bird flocks. It can just wipe out an entire flock," Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Piggot said.
Bird flu threat to humans remains low, health officials say
Killing the birds at the farm is expected to help keep other farms safe, yet there are fears of future H5N1 mutation that could make humans more vulnerable.
"COVID has .5% morbidity, whereas avian influenza has a 50% morbidity rate. So god forbid this mutates to readily go from human to human, we are looking at the next pandemic," said John DiLeonardo, of Humane Long Island.
The World Health Organization has reported 950 human cases of bird flu, but officials say it is not known to be transmitted from human to human, and the risk to public health remains low.
Still, precautions are being taken at Crescent.
"We are going out to the location, talking to workers who have been exposed. We are going to test them for H5N1," Piggot said.
Avian experts keeping an eye on situation at Crescent
The Suffolk County Health Department said bird flu has been detected in poultry and wild birds in New York since 2022. The department added there have not been any cases in cattle in the state to date.
Avian experts are monitoring the situation at the Suffolk County farm.
"This disease is carried by wild birds and all it takes is one of them defecating into an animal pen. It lands on the feed or on the ground it can then spread throughout your flock," said Kate Perz, of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
The Corwin family, which runs Crescent Duck Farm, has had to lay off 47 of its 75 employees. It now fears for the future of the business as it is facing a complete halt in revenue.
Farmers can find information about safety measures online here, and they are urged to report sick or dead birds to 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.
