Bird flu cases confirmed after dozens of ducks and geese found dead on Long Island beach: officials
EAST PATCHOGUE, New York (WABC) -- Officials have confirmed positive cases of bird flu after dozens of dead birds were found on a local beach on Long Island.
The birds, including ducks and geese, were found on a beach in East Patchogue.
Tim Jones says it all started on Tuesday when he was collecting sea glass at Patchogue Shores with his wife, baby and toddler.
"I was ahead and I saw a black and white body there, and I thought it was a puffer fish because we have had puffer fish wash up, so when I went to look closer I was like, that is not a fish, that is a duck," Jones said.
The beach and wildlife is an integral part of this community, with 257 homes and plenty of young children and pets.
Jones immediately called the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, also Cornell University's Wildlife Health Lab and the Audubon Society.
From the response, it seems like his was one of many calls.
"Like, I think they were working on it," he said. "Because they did seem pretty adamant, they did have reports up and down this site area."
After conducting tests on the birds, the DEC confirmed that both Nassau and Suffolk counties have positive results for HPAI, or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
They say that "prevailing winds" have likely caused a large number of shorebirds to wash ashore on Long Island's south shore beaches. They say the HPAI cases are distributed throughout the region.
The DEC has told the public that if you see this you should assume it is bird flu.
"Where this becomes more of a problem is where say, someone finds a dead bird on their property and goes to remove it with their bare hands. That's high risk. That would be concerning," said Dr. Andrew Handel of Stony Brook Children's Hospital.
Health officials say bird flu is currently not transmitted between humans, only from animals to those who have handled them, but the Suffolk County Health Department is still asking residents in this area who have any flu-like symptoms to contact their doctors.
According to Cornell, 37 counties are affected by bird flu statewide so far.
One of the other major cases, just last month, affected more than 100,000 ducks at the Crescent Duck Farm out in Aquebogue. All of them had to be killed.
As for in Patchogue Shores, Jones also took a video of a duck that was alive, but it seemed unwell as another precaution to residents about what to look for.
"It was swimming in circles, like tight circles, and its head was still twitching," Jones said. "That was actually very sad to see because I don't want to see any animals in pain and there's nothing, they don't know what's going on."
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
