Live poultry markets in NYC, suburbs shut over bird flu
The virus has wiped out more than 156 million chickens, turkeys and other birds in the United States since an outbreak in poultry began in 2022. Losses of laying hens have slashed egg supplies, sending prices soaring and prompting restaurants to raise prices.
Bird flu has also infected about two-thirds of the dairy herds in California, the biggest milk-producing state, and nearly 70 people since April.
Inspectors have detected seven cases of bird flu in poultry during routine inspections at live bird markets in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. While the threat to public health remains low, we're taking action to curb any further transmission and protect New Yorkers. pic.twitter.com/1UQoMisykc
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 7, 2025
In New York state, the five-day closure of live poultry markets in New York City and three counties - Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau - will allow them to be cleaned and disinfected to help prevent spread of the disease, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Friday.
Authorities found avian flu at poultry markets in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn since January 31, according to the statement.
"I have directed our state agencies to use all available resources to ensure we are taking every measure necessary to keep the risk to the public low," Hochul said.
Wild birds often carry the virus during migration periods and can transmit it to poultry through direct contact or through contaminated feces or feathers. To contain the virus, poultry are culled when even one bird in a flock tests positive. The US Department of Agriculture for the first time this week confirmed a second strain of bird flu in US dairy cattle, a discovery that ramped up concerns about its spread.
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