New York State Addresses HPAI Detection in Poultry

By Blake Jackson

Governor Hochul announced that New York State is taking proactive measures to address the recent detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a Suffolk County poultry farm and in wild birds in Putnam County.

“At my direction, New York State is continuing to monitor HPAI and take proactive measures to keep our communities safe,” Governor Hochul said. “While the risk to public health remains low, I encourage all New Yorkers, especially individuals frequently in contact with poultry and wild birds, to remain vigilant and take the necessary steps to protect our state.”

While the risk to public health remains low, the state is urging poultry owners to implement strict biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

“New York State has been monitoring for HPAI and taking a number of proactive measures to prevent the spread of HPAI in the state since the first detection in a backyard poultry operation here in 2022," said Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball.

"The protocols we have in place, and continue to update, for early detection in poultry and livestock are working, helping us to identify cases and deploy resources to help. We encourage everyone who keeps poultry and livestock to be vigilant about minimizing their animals’ exposure to the virus and to wild bird populations and practice good biosecurity measures.”

DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar urged New Yorkers to avoid contact with sick or dead wild birds and to report such incidents to their local DEC regional office.

For more information contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) Division of Animal Industry at (518) 457-3502 or the USDA at (866) 536-7593.

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