NJ Backyard Flock Infected With Bird Flu: Reports

NEW JERSEY - Several bird flu cases, with some fatal, have been reported in a domestic flock of chickens and ducks in New Jersey this week, according to multiple reports.

A Monmouth County flock of 10 non-commercial backyard fowl tested positive for the bird flu, the Asbury Park Press reported. It was not immediately clear what town the flock was located in.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture told the publication that the flock was diagnosed after some backyard ducks died, with others showing signs of neurological illness.

The USDA is currently working with state animal health officials in New Jersey on a joint incident response. State officials have already quarantined the affected premises, and infected birds on the property will be killed to curb the spread of the “highly pathogenic” disease, according to a statement from the USDA.

Only ducks died from the disease, with other ducks euthanized due to USDA protocol, NJ.com reported.

Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is not usually spread to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only one case of human bird flu has been detected this year. That case was in Colorado in late April.

But the bird flu outbreak has affected almost 38 million birds nationwide since February. The bird flu outbreak, which was first reported in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana and the worst since 2015, is also driving up prices for eggs and chickens, which are already high due to inflation.

Earlier this year, 21 wild ducks in Cape May tested positive for the bird flu. Those ducks were all asymptomatic.

"We know it's in our populations," Dr. Nicole Lewis, a pathologist for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Fish & Wildlife previously told Patch, noting that a sampling of 21 positive cases in a single state is "definitely abnormal." New Jersey typically sees one or zero positive bird flu cases a year, she said.

As part of existing avian influenza response, federal and state agencies are working together on providing additional surveillance and testing in areas near the affected flocks.

All New Jersey poultry owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, must report sick or unexplained bird deaths to State/Federal officials immediately. Sick or dead poultry can be reported to the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services NJ Area Office at 609-259-5260 or toll-free at 1-866-536-7593.