Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Found in These States as Virus Spreads to New York

The highly contagious form of avian flu has been detected in a non-commercial backyard flock of non-poultry birds in Suffolk County, New York, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed.

A press release from the USDA said that samples from the flock were taken and tested at Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center, part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which found traces of the virus.

The property in question has been quarantined and the birds have been euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease, the USDA revealed on Saturday.

The case is the latest in a series of outbreaks of avian flu in the United States. The USDA avian flu tracker currently lists five detected cases of avian flu in commercial and backyard flocks, which does not include this Suffolk County case.

So far the virus has also been detected in two commercial turkey flocks in Indiana, on February 8 and 16, a flock of commercial turkeys and commercial broiler chickens in Kentucky, and another non-poultry backyard mixed-species flock in Virginia.

That means this avian flu has been detected in four states in total.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the recent bird flu cases don't represent an immediate public health concern.

Mark Jit, professor of vaccine epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), told Newsweek: "Bird flu doesn't transmit easily to humans unless they have very close contact with the infected birds – usually farmers and others involved in handling poultry."

Jit added that it is "bad news" for anyone who does get infected with highly pathogenic avian flu as it tends to cause very severe illness in humans too. The virus doesn't spread as easily between humans as it does between birds, however.

Jit continued: "But it doesn't transmit easily between humans, so it is unlikely to lead to a large outbreak, although there have been a few documented cases of transmission between close contacts like household members."

Cross-Transmission Is Rare

Newsweek previously reported that the CDC says that though bird flu can cross species and infect humans, this cross-transmission is rare. Infection usually occurs as a result of infected birds shedding the virus in excretions like saliva, mucous, and feces. The virus passes to a human host when these fluids, as droplets in the air or mixed in dust, get into a person's eyes, nose, or mouth, or are inhaled.

The CDC adds that bird flu can also pass to humans when a person touches something that has the virus on it then touches their mouth, eyes, or nose.

This cross-infection usually only happens when a person has unprotected contact with infected birds or bird flu-contaminated surfaces, though the CDC says there are rare reports of infections occurring without direct contact.

In addition to wearing protection when around flocks of birds, the USDA says that the risk of bird flu transmission can be further mitigated by ensuring eggs and poultry are cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to kill bacteria and viruses.