Another flock of birds was euthanized Thursday in Dukes County, the only area in the state that has had an outbreak of bird flu in domestic flocks so far this year.
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources announced in a press release that it “safely depopulated and disposed of a noncommercial backyard flock in Dukes County” because of the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also called bird or avian flu.
“Birds on the affected premises exhibited clinical signs consistent with HPAI, and tested positive for the disease,” the release states.
Phu Mai, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, told The Times that it was a small flock consisting of five chickens and three geese. Mai said the department’s animal health officials received the “sick bird call” on Feb. 19, and the positive test results came in on Feb. 20.
“We did not find any other nearby animals exhibiting symptoms of HPAI, and aside from the infected birds themselves, did not dispose of any other items,” Mai said in an email.
But it remains uncertain where this flock is in Dukes County. Mai said the department would only specify the county for positive cases of bird flu. And local health officials are following suit.
“Local boards of health align with the multiagency HPAI response plan and MDAR’s policy of identifying by county only,” Edgartown Health Agent Brice Boutot said.
Tisbury Health Agent Drew Belsky said likewise, but he highlighted that HPAI was spread by wild birds “that could stop anywhere on the Island.”
“Regardless of the depopulation location, all Islanders should be protecting their flocks from potential outbreaks,” Belsky said.
This is the second time a domestic flock tested positive for HPAI in Massachusetts this year, according to the state agricultural department. The first outbreak of bird flu occurred last month in Slough Farm in Edgartown, when 350 chickens had to be euthanized because of the disease — the largest euthanization of birds for avian flu in the Island’s history.
State officials advised backyard and commercial poultry owners to take measures to prevent their birds from coming in contact with wild birds infected with avian flu. This includes eliminating standing water, and preventing domestic birds from bodies of water that attract wild waterfowl.
“Allowing domestic flocks to have ‘free range’ poses substantial risk of exposure to HPAI,” the release states. “The consequences can be deadly.”
The state department says waterfowl and aquatic birds are the most at risk of contracting avian flu, but any bird species can be infected. Mammals can also be susceptible, and pet owners are advised to leash dogs and keep them away from areas where wild birds gather, or where a dead waterfowl was found. Meanwhile, cat owners in areas that may have HPAI present should “consider keeping their cats indoors,” and discourage farm cats from eating their prey.
Although rare, humans can also be infected by bird flu, and people at risk are those who have “prolonged close contact with sick or dead animals.”
More information about avian flu is available on the FAQ document (bit.ly/MAgov_AvianFlu) created by Massachusetts’ Department of Agricultural Resources, the Division of Fish and Wildlife, and Department of Public Health.