Skip to main content

Avian Flu Virus Showing Up in NYC Wild Birds

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 15, 2024.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2024 -- The H5N1 avian flu virus has been discovered in a small number of wild birds in New York City.

The highly infectious and severe virus was detected in fecal samples in six New York City birds representing four different species, according to a report published May 15 in the Journal of Virology.

Bird flu is now widespread in wild birds around the globe, and it has been causing outbreaks in U.S. poultry and dairy cows, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It is important to mention that, because we found H5N1 in city birds, this does not signal the start of a human influenza pandemic,” said researcher Christine Marizzi, principal investigator of the New York City Virus Hunters Program. “We know that H5N1 has been around in New York City for about two years and there have been no human cases reported.”

Only one human case of H5N1 bird flu occurred recently in the United States, involving a dairy worker in Texas, the CDC says.

However, researchers are worried that as bird flu spreads worldwide, the risk of it jumping into humans continues to grow.

The samples in the latest study were taken by local high school students working as paid interns for a wild bird monitoring program. The group collected more than 1,900 samples between January 2022 and November 2023.

New York City is a popular stopover location for migrating birds, researchers noted. Genetic analysis revealed that the H5N1 viruses found in the city belonged to a two different genotypes that are a mix of Eurasian and North American bird flu viruses.

“To my knowledge, this is the first large-scale U.S. study of avian influenza in an urban area, and the first with active community involvement,” Marizzi said in a journal news release.

“Birds are key to finding out which influenza and other avian viruses are circulating in the New York City area, as well as important for understanding which ones can be dangerous to both other birds and humans,” Marizzi added.

To minimize the risk of the avian flu jumping into humans, Marizzi said people need to keep their distance from wild birds.

“This also includes preventing your pets from getting in close contact with wildlife,” she added.

Sources

  • American Society for Microbiology, news release, May 15, 2024

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted May 2024

Read this next

With Bird Flu a Threat, FDA Asks Some States to Curb Sales of Raw Milk

FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday asked states to work harder to protect the public from the risks of raw milk as a bird flu outbreak...

Patient in Mexico Dies From First Known Human Infection of H5N2 Strain of Bird Flu

THURSDAY, June 6, 2024 -- A 59-year-old person in Mexico is the first human in the world known to be infected with the H5N2 strain of avian flu, and the patient died of...

U.S. Will Make Millions of Bird Flu Vaccines This Summer

MONDAY, June 3, 2024 -- As the H5N1 avian flu continues to spread among dairy cows in the United States, nearly 5 million doses of flu vaccine are now being prepared for possible...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.