In effort to track bird flu, state asks public to report sick or dead wild birds

New Yorkers can help state officials track the path of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by reporting sightings of sick or dead wild birds to an online platform launched by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

HPAI, or bird flu, is a contagious, deadly, viral disease spread by wild birds that has been detected in poultry and wildlife on Long Island and across the state. A recent outbreak of bird flu at Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue resulted in the loss of 99,000 ducks on site. Bird flu can also be transmitted to mammals, including dairy cows.

There have been 67 human cases across the United States, mostly people who work with poultry or on dairy farms, and one death of a man who had contact with a backyard flock, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, there have been no human cases in New York.

In a statement, interim DEC Commissioner Sean Mahar urged residents to report suspected outbreaks so the agency gets real-time information “wherever and whenever they occur.”

The DEC is especially interested in hearing about sick or dead birds and suspected outbreaks in raptors, crows, shorebirds and water birds, including gulls, loons and herons, which are known to carry bird flu.

“Early detection of HPAI is key to preventing its spread,” said state Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball in a statement. “DEC’s new reporting tool will help us understand how HPAI is impacting wild birds, so we can find it quickly and take further action to keep it contained.”

The reporting form is found on the DEC’s website under animal diseases. It asks for species, location and any other information observed about the birds.

DEC staff will decide whether or not to respond based on the number and kind of birds, as well as whether HPAI has been documented in that area.

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.