Suffolk County Health Officials Announce Avian Influenza Detected in Poultry at Local Farm

County Working with State Agencies to Ensure Public Health and Safety Minimal Risk to Public Health

Suffolk County Department of Health officials today announced a confirmed detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also known as H5N1 or bird flu, in a commercial poultry flock on a farm in Suffolk County.

The farm owner reported signs of illness in his flock early last week and test results from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the detection of H5N1 on Friday, January 17. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services is working closely with the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management and the New York State Department of Health. The department is in contact with the farm owner, who reported on Friday that none of the potentially exposed workers was ill. This week, staff will begin interviewing potentially exposed workers and providing H5N1 testing and preventive medications to those at high risk. Staff are also counseling the farm owner regarding preventive measures, including hand hygiene and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment to prevent further exposures to staff.   Although workers may have been exposed, H5N1 is not known to be transmitted from human to human at this time and the risk to public health remains low.

“The risk to public health is minimal as the virus at this point is not transmissible among humans. A full investigation is underway because there is some potential for transmission of the H5N1 bird flu from the infected birds to individual farm workers who had high-risk exposures,” said Dr. Gregson Pigott, Suffolk County Health Commissioner.

The farm houses more than 100,000 birds and is currently under quarantine. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are also involved in the response. Both agencies are on site at the farm advising on depopulating, cleaning, and disinfection activities.

H5N1 avian influenza has been detected in wild birds and poultry in New York since 2022. Since March 2024, the USDA has confirmed that cows on dairy farms in multiple states have tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza. The virus has been found in raw (unpasteurized) milk and secretions from the noses of cows on these farms.

To date, there have been no human cases of avian influenza and no detections in cattle in New York.

This announcement prompts reminders for commercial and hobby poultry farmers to increase their biosecurity measures to help prevent the spread of the H5N1virus. To learn more about biosecurity measures, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/animals/poultry

For more information about H5N1 avian influenza, visit
https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/influenza/aian/

To report sick or dead birds, call the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at (518) 457-3502 for poultry, or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at (518) 478-2203 for wild birds.