Bird flu monitoring: New Yorkers asked to report dead birds via online tool, limit contact with dead wildlife and keep domestic animals away

The State Department of Environmental Conservation has launched an online tool for reporting dead wild birds suspected of infection with avian influenza.

The online platform is part of an ongoing effort by the state to monitor Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which is carried by free-flying waterfowl and other waterbirds such as ducks, geese, and shorebirds,  but can also infect domestic poultry, raptors, corvids (crows and ravens), and mammals, the NYSDEC said in a  press release. Recently, there have been a number of cases in dairy cattle in several states. 

Since the first detection of HPAI in New York,  in a backyard poultry flock in Suffolk County in February 2022, HPAI has been detected in free-ranging wild birds and wild mammals throughout the state and in captive birds in several counties.  HPAI continues to infect birds and mammals across the United States and Canada, including New York. 

Some infected wild birds can carry these viruses without getting sick, but domestic poultry and many species of wild birds get sick and often die from these viruses. Songbirds and other passerine birds do not appear to be highly susceptible to infection.

Access the DEC online report form here.

The public should limit contact with dead wildlife and keep domestic animals away. 

If removal of carcasses is deemed necessary, the public is reminded to wear disposable gloves, a mask, and eye protection.  Avoid direct contact with the carcass or carcass fluids by using a shovel and washing hands and clothing immediately after with soap and hot water. 

Carcasses should be triple bagged (garbage or contractor bags) and placed in an outdoor trash receptacle. 

Once a report is received, DEC’s field response is guided by the report’s details, including the number of sick or dead birds, bird species, and observations from new areas where HPAI has not yet been documented, the press release said. Of particular interest to the agency are reports of suspected outbreaks in all species of waterfowl, raptors, crows, shorebirds, and other waterbirds such as gulls, loons, and herons. These species are known HPAI vectors, particularly vulnerable to the disease, when testing can help DEC track HPAI prevalence on the landscape. 

HPAI is widespread in wild birds and mammals, so not all reports will result in DEC retrieving the animals for testing and/or disposal, the agency said. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that recent HPAI detections in birds pose a low risk to the public. While there is likely little risk for the public, people with close or prolonged unprotected contact with infected birds or virus-contaminated environments are at greater risk of infection.