Earlier this week, the highly pathogenic avian flu (H5N1) was officially confirmed in parts of New York including New York City and the Hudson Valley.

Now, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is sharing with the public what they are doing to help combat the spread of this disease.

Avian Flu Confirmed in Parts of the Hudson Valley

Earlier this month, news of confirmed avian flu cases came out of both Putnam and Ulster counties.

On January 17th, the Putnam County Department of Health confirmed that avian flu was detected in a dead goose discovered in the Brewster area. Officials shared that despite the positive result, direct risk to the community remained low.

As of Wednesday, January 29, the Ulster County Executive confirmed that avian flu was the cause of death for just under 50 chickens and ducks at an Ulster County farm.

Read More Here: Outbreak of Highly Contagious Bird Flu Confirmed in the Hudson Valley

There have been no confirmed human cases of avian flu in New York, but the Ulster County government page explains that people who are in direct contact with animals including dairy and poultry farm workers are at the highest risk.

New York DEC Lays Out Plan to Monitor and Combat Avian Flu

On Thursday, January 20th, the New York DEC shared information about a new platform they've launched in efforts to better track, investigate, and study the avian flu cases detected throughout New York.

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Under the DEC's Animal Diseases webpage, you can now find a link to report any suspected avian flu cases in wild birds. The DEC is specifically looking for information on suspected cases for the following birds: Swans, Ducks or Geese, Crows or Ravens, Shorebirds or Gulls, Eagles, Hawks, Owls, or Other Raptor birds.

In response to the new DEC resource, Richard Ball, the State Agriculture Commissioner wrote,

"Early detection of HPAI is key to preventing its spread. DEC’s new reporting tool will help us understand how HPAI is impacting wild birds, so we can find it quickly and take further action to keep it contained."

In terms of the risk that avian flu poses for humans, the DEC echoes the CDC's guidance.

"Recent HPAI detections in birds pose a low risk to the public. While there is likely little risk for the public, people with close or prolonged unprotected contact with infected birds or virus-contaminated environments are at greater risk of infection."

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