A “highly pathogenic” bird flu has been discovered in a flock at a Long Island backyard flock, federal officials said Saturday.
Influenza was confirmed among the Suffolk County herd through samples tested at Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
State officials have quarantined the affected area, while birds in the area will be depopulated to prevent the virus from spreading.
New York and federal agencies are working together to monitor and test areas that may harbor infected birds.
Officials said the “highly pathogenic” bird flu cases did not present an immediate public health concern.
“Birds in the flock will not enter the food system,” the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said, while reporting earlier this week that bird flu was found in a flock. commercial poultry in Kentucky and in a flock of backyard birds in Virginia.
“The United States has the strongest AI (bird flu) surveillance program in the world, and the USDA is working with partners to actively search for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and migratory wild bird populations,” the statement read. .
The USDA reported the discovery of Eurasian H5 avian influenza in South Carolina last month.
Officials did not name the type of birds, or the specific community on Long Island, where the virus was discovered.
