Experts Urge Caution to Stop Spread of Avian Flu

Amy Barkley is a livestock specialist with the Southwest New York Dairy Livestock and Field Crops program and an expert for the avian influenza outbreak for Cornell. She also has her own poultry farm and said she worries about the recent spread of avian flu.

“Honestly any farm that has poultry, whether you’re large scale commercial, small scale commercial like me, or backyard, if you have poultry, you are susceptible, and if those birds have access to the outdoors, they’re even more susceptible,” she said.

Barkley said this is a high-risk time of year as we head into migration season, so she advises anyone who comes into contact with birds to practice biosecurity.

“What we can control is transmitting the disease from one farm to another, from one homestead to another, and so we can take steps like changing our footwear in between visiting different facilities,” she said. “We can even restrict ourselves from visiting different facilities.”

She also recommends keeping birds away from fields where wild geese may migrate and frequent.

For average consumers, Barkley said keep in mind the food supply is safe. And she said beyond that, there’s not much they can do.

“I would just say if you have friends that have chickens, just don’t go into the pens with them. Just do your part to help stop tracking things in, and that’s really all we can do as general consumers.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) issued an alert directing New York agencies to continue taking proactive prevention measures. She said avian flu was found in poultry on a farm in Suffolk County and in several wild and domestic birds at a learning center in Putnam County. Avian flu (H5N1) was found in about 50 chickens and ducks on a farm in Ulster County this week. The Ulster County Department of Health confirmed the outbreak, and the Farm owners and a visiting vet are being monitored for symptoms over the next 10 days.

Hochul said the risk to humans remains low. However, she encourages everyone who comes into contact with birds to look at the USDA’s “Defend the Flock” website for more information and advice.

Image Credit: USDA.gov