A highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) case has been confirmed at a Union County live bird market in New Jersey, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health.
This is the first positive HPAI case for domestic poultry in New Jersey since 2023. The Union County live bird market was quarantined on Friday after samples taken from domestic poultry tested positive for the disease.
The risk to the general public remains low, but individuals who have had close contact with infected birds should monitor themselves for symptoms for 10 days following their last exposure. Symptoms may include fever, respiratory signs, eye redness or irritation, headaches, muscle or body aches, and diarrhea.
To prevent the spread of the disease, the live bird market is being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and will not receive new poultry until the quarantine is lifted. The market’s staff are also being monitored for exposure to the virus.
New Jersey live bird markets had cooperated with the state’s recommendation to perform a cleaning and disinfection in response to several New York City area live bird markets being closed due to positive HPAI cases.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern. However, proper precautions should still be taken to prevent the spread of the disease.
Residents are advised to follow biosecurity practices such as eliminating exposure of domestic birds to wild birds, minimizing standing water and extra feed in the environment, and avoiding contact with other poultry. PPE is available at each county’s Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office.
Contact information for reporting suspected cases or concerns can be found on the New Jersey Department of Agriculture website.
Source: https://patch.com/new-jersey/westfield/highly-pathogenic-avian-flu-confirmed-union-county-live-bird-market