All live bird markets in New York City and several neighboring counties were ordered to be closed on Friday after inspectors found seven cases of bird flu.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) issued the closure order for live bird markets in New York City, Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau Counties.
Westchester County includes New York City’s northern suburbs. Nassau and Suffolk counties cover all of Long Island to the east of the city.
“Safeguarding public health is all about being proactive, and New York State is continuing our coordinated effort to monitor for the Avian Influenza,” Hochul said in a statement.
“My top priority will always be to keep New Yorkers safe, and I have directed our states agencies to use all available resources to ensure we are taking every measure necessary to keep the risk to the public low.”
The seven cases of avian influenza were found in poultry in markets in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx during routine surveillance by New York state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) last week.
Under the order, no poultry can be delivered to live bird markets or distributors in those areas until Feb. 14.
Any market with birds showing clinical signs of bird flu must contact AGM immediately to undergo investigation and testing.
The bird flu infections do not pose an immediate threat to public health and there are no known cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans in New York states, according to New York State Health Commissioner James McDonald.
“Those who have regular contact with livestock and wild birds should safeguard their health by wearing personal protective equipment when in contact with these animals,” McDonald said in a statement.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that bird flu poses a low risk to the public. As of Jan. 6, the agency has confirmed 67 cases of H5N1 bird flu in humans since 2022 with most cases found in farmworkers in close contact with sick dairy cows or poultry.
Since 2022, the virus has been spreading among dairy cows, poultry, goats, wild birds, and even seals.
A Louisiana man became the first person to die in the United States from severe illness from bird flu in early January.
The man was older than 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions. He contracted H5N1 bird flu after exposure to a combination of a backyard flock and wild birds.
