BRICK – Five dead waterfowl – four gulls and one duck – were recently discovered on a small sandy beach in a residential neighborhood off Kettle Creek, and while it’s not unusual to see an occasional dead bird on the beach, residents were concerned because of the threat of H5N1 bird flu.
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said that the ongoing nationwide bird flu outbreak is primarily an animal health issue that poses low risk to humans, but have issued a public health advisory urging residents to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and report any unusual wildlife deaths to their hotline at 877-927-6337.
Avian influenza, or “bird flu” is a respiratory disease in birds, which can be carried and spread by wild birds such as shorebirds, but may show no signs of illness. However, the disease can kill domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.
According to the NJ DEP, the mortality rate for bird flu in chickens can be as high as 100%, often within 48 hours. The disease affects the internal organs of poultry producing a gastrointestinal infection, resulting in birds dying of diarrhea along with respiratory distress.
There is a relatively low risk of spreading avian flu to humans through eating eggs because the birds who become sick make them unlikely to lay an egg that makes it into the food chain.
Egg prices in NJ have skyrocketed due to the nationwide outbreak of H5N1 that has killed millions of chickens and has created a shortage of eggs, causing prices to rise.
According to Ocean County Board of Health Public Information Officer Brian Lippai, there have been no cases in NJ of bird flu in humans, and only one suspected case of the disease of a hawk in Ocean County, which is currently being confirmed by the NJ DEP.
“Bird flu is around, it’s been around – it’s not that it’s anything new – it’s something that happens, and it’s rearing its head right now,” he said. “It started out in a bunch of states out west and we’re having a bunch of cases here that started in late 2024 across New York and the tri-state region.”
There was one confirmed case of bird flu in a feral cat in Hunterdon County in recent weeks, which was traced back to eating cat food containing raw chicken.
When Lippai was asked about the possible transmission of bird flu from bird feeders, he said the state health department “hasn’t gone that far yet, to say everybody remove your bird feeder,” unless waterfowl also use the birdfeeder. “So that’s good news,” he said.
Songbirds, like robins, cardinals and sparrows, are not usually infected with bird flu viruses that are dangerous to poultry.
The people who are most susceptible to catching H5N1 are those who work in the poultry industry, or work around dairy cows, he said, since the virus can spread between the infected birds and cows through contaminated equipment, or by people who have been in contact with infected birds.
“There’s a lot of backyard poultry owners who live in Ocean County – you see a lot of chickens in peoples’ backyards – so those folks we’re really trying to get the message out to practice safe biohazard practices,” Lippai said.
Meanwhile, do not approach or touch any sick or dying birds, and if you find one, leave it there. If you want to get rid of it, Lippai said he strongly encourages the use of protective equipment, including gloves and a mask, and double-bag the dead bird and put it into a trash receptacle that is inaccessible to wild animals, such as raccoons.
For the latest information on H5N1 outbreaks visit cdc.gov/bird-flu/prevention.
