First presumptive case of bird flu detected in wild snow goose in Philadelphia, officials say
The first suspected case of bird flu was reported in Philadelphia on Wednesday after public health officials said a sick snow goose found in a West Philadelphia neighborhood was positive for the disease in preliminary tests.
The snow goose was found Saturday, Jan. 11 on the 1200 block of North 59th Street, along the west side of Carroll Park. It's the first sick bird to be found in Philadelphia as part of the nationwide outbreak — which has led to several poultry flocks being depopulated and sharply increased the price of eggs at grocery stores and suppliers to local businesses.
Anyone who may have had direct contact with the bird is asked to call the Philadelphia Department of Public Health's Division of Disease Control at 215-685-6741.
Dr. Eric Sachinwalla, an infectious disease specialist with Jefferson Health, said they're keeping a close eye on the first suspected case.
Residents should stay away from any sick or dead birds they see, in case they may be carrying the bird flu virus.
"The threat to Philadelphians from H5N1 remains low, but we are issuing this alert out of an abundance of caution," Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson said in a news release.
Anyone who spots sick or dead birds can report them by calling 833-PGC-HUNT, emailing the Pennsylvania Game Commission at pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov or completing the Wildlife Health Survey tool on the PGC's website.
Residents with concerns about sick backyard chickens should contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services at 717-772-2851, option 1.
Elsewhere in our region, officials in Delaware are monitoring poultry flocks near the Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge after wild birds at the refuge tested presumptive positive for the virus, which was later detected in broiler flocks on two nearby poultry farms.
At Cape Henlopen State Park in Sussex County, Jack Hartford encountered at least 15-20 dead birds on the beach. He reported what he saw to the state and said he was worried about the infection spreading to people and pets.
"Just thinking, a lot of people put their pets loose out here when they're thinking they're all by themselves, and dogs being dogs, would run up into the dunes and all over the place encountering possibly a lot of these dead animals, some of them that are half eaten," Hartford said.
The CDC said while it's rare, cats and dogs can catch bird flu.
Laura Page, of the Brandywine SPCA, said people should be taking extra precautions with their pets.
"Err on the side of caution," she said. "If you see a bird acting funny or it's deceased, just stay away from it and contact the state and let them know where it is."
Health officials have also warned against feeding pets raw pet food or consuming raw milk, as some cases of bird flu have presented in dairy cattle.
The virus can spread to humans who interact with sick birds.
"The virus can be spread from flock to flock, including flocks of wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, equipment, and the clothing and shoes of caretakers," the Delaware Department of Agriculture says.
Experts warn that the more cases jump from birds to humans, the greater the chance the virus could mutate to a strain making it transmissible between humans.
"The concern is, the more we allow spillover into humans, the more likely at some point you might see a mutation that would allow for human-to-human transmission," CBS News medical contributor Dr. Céline Gounder said.