With Possible Cases Of Avian Influenza Reported, East Hampton Town Issues Public Safety Advisory

(Warning: This post contains images of deceased geese).

EAST HAMPTON, NY — With reports of dead geese and birds reported across the East End in recent weeks, East Hampton town sent out a safety advisory for residents Wednesday.

"The Town of East Hampton advises that if you encounter sick or dead wildlife, you should not touch it, keep children and pets away, and if the carcass is that of a bird, report the incident to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)," the notice said.

Possible cases of avian influenza have been reported across the East End, town officials said.

"While experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state that the current risk to public health from bird flu is low, it is important to remain cautious. Even rare infections can start with a single contact. Extra care should be taken with pets and domesticated animals, as transmission between species is possible," town officials said.

If you must remove a carcass, the town said, residents should wear disposable gloves, a mask, and eye protection, and take steps:

• Avoid any direct contact with the carcass or carcass fluids by using a shovel.
• Immediately wash your hands and any clothing worn during the removal using soap and hot water.
• Carcasses should be triple-bagged and placed in an outdoor trash container so that sanitation crews can handle and dispose of them safely..

As of the last week of February, DEC confirmed 11 birds with results suggestive of being infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) with a "non-negative" finding across Long Island.

Due to the known presence of HPAI in waterfowl in the region, DEC said it is limiting sampling of mortality events to raptors or other species not yet confirmed in the region.

The public should strongly consider that groups of birds found deceased are HPAI positive and should follow CDC safety protocols to reduce contact.

The DEC advises the public to avoid any contact with sick or dead birds and mammals that may be infected with HPAI.

In a sight that's broken hearts around the East End and beyond, residents, in February, reported seeing hundreds of dead geese littering the shorelines, and even floating out on the ice in the Peconic Bay

Maria Orlando Pietromonaco of South Jamesport wrote on Facebook: "Yet another neighbor reported counting 106 dead geese on the beach today."

Pietromonaco said she'd heard hundreds of Canadian geese honking overhead during the night, "some waddling through the streets, others perched all alone in various places. At least 15 dead, others look very sick."

Pietromonaco and others speculated whether the geese were dying of starvation — with all food and water sources encased in ice — or from avian influenza.

Amanda Devaux said she had been walking on the South Jamesport Beach at Miamogue Point and seen two deceased and three "ill-looking" Canadian geese. "It's sad to see," she said.

Devaux said she believed the large die-out of geese must be related to the avian flu. "Just too many sick one day and dead the next. We actually saw one flying and then just flew into the beach and was dead within minutes. The ones still alive on the beach seem disoriented and stumble. Some don’t even move when we walk by.," she said.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said it has had reports of more than 100 geese or ducks in the Jamesport area along the Peconic Bay, in addition to numerous reports of dead or sick waterfowl throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Three birds were recently collected on February 16, in the Jamesport area, to undergo testing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, the DEC said.

The results of those tests are not yet available, DEC said on Wednesday.

The DEC said it currently does not have any confirmed HPAI detections on the North Fork of Long Island during the 2025 to 2026 HPAI season; however, that does not mean there are not HPAI mortalities in wild birds in the area, the DEC said.

The DEC targets larger die-offs — 20-plus geese. The public should strongly consider that groups of birds found deceased are HPAI positive and should follow CDC safety protocols to reduce contact, the DEC said.

The DEC advised the public to avoid any contact with sick or dead birds and mammals that may be infected with HPAI.

HPAI continues to infect birds and mammals across the U.S. and Canada, including New York State, the DEC said.

HPAI is carried by free-flying waterfowl and other waterbirds, such as ducks, geese, and shorebirds, but can also infect domestic poultry, raptors, corvids, and mammals, the DEC said.

The DEC’s wildlife health program is monitoring the spread and impact of HPAI throughout the state and has an online reporting tool the public can use to report suspected HPAI mortalities:

Updates on HPAI can be found on the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab website.

There is no way to contain HPAI infection in wild birds, the DEC said, adding that the clinical signs for HPAI infection in wildlife are nonspecific and may be similar to other diseases or injuries.

Waterfowl, waterbirds, raptors, and scavenging birds are at higher risk of infection, but any species could potentially be infected, including mammals, the DEC said.

HPAI-infected birds may be asymptomatic or may exhibit signs of respiratory distress (sneezing or nasal discharge), lethargy, neurologic malfunction (ataxia, stargazing, or seizures), diarrhea, weakness, or sudden death, the DEC said.

Once a report is received, DEC’s field response is guided by the report’s details, including the number of sick or dead birds, bird species, and observations from new areas where HPAI has not yet been documented, the DEC said.

Of particular interest are reports of suspected outbreaks in all species of waterfowl, raptors, crows, shorebirds, and other waterbirds such as gulls, loons, and herons.

HPAI is widespread in wild birds and mammals, so not all reports will result in the DEC retrieving the animals for testing and/or disposal, the DEC said.

The public can help minimize risk and limit disease spread by preventing contact between domestic animals and wild birds, the DEC said.

To report any suspected cases of avian influenza, contact the DEC:

• By phone, call 631-444-0310.
• To report online, click here.
• The East Hampton Town marine patrol is also accepting reports of suspected avian influenza cases on public land. Call the department at 631-537-7575 to make a report.