City officials reported on Wednesday that a goose found in West Philadelphia tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5), commonly known as bird flu.
On Saturday, Jan. 18, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health was notified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health that an ill snow goose, found on the 1200 block of North 59th Street near Carroll Park on Saturday, Jan. 11, had highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5), commonly known as bird flu, infection based on preliminary in-state testing.
According to local health officials, this is the first bird found in Philadelphia during the current nationwide outbreak.
“The threat to Philadelphians from H5N1 remains low, but we are issuing this alert out of an abundance of caution,” said Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. “We continue to monitor the situation both here in Philadelphia and across the country. You can help by staying away from wild birds and reporting sick or dead birds to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.”
The Health Department reminds Philadelphians to keep an eye out for sick wild birds, stay away from them, and contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission via telephone at 833-PGC-Hunt (833-722-4868), email at pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov, or the online Wildlife Health Survey tool.
In addition, any resident in the area of Carroll Park who may have had direct contact with a sick snow goose on or around Saturday, Jan. 11 should call the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Disease Control at 215-685-6741.
Keep your distance, stay alert
The Health Department recommends that it’s best to stay away from wild birds, especially waterfowl, such as geese and ducks, as they are common carriers of bird flu. If you do see sick birds or other animals or unusual bird or other animal deaths, report them to the Pennsylvania Game Commission via telephone at 833-PGC-Hunt (833-722-4868), email at pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov or their online Wildlife Health Survey tool.
Experts are urging people to keep their distance, and never touch sick or injured wild animals. Residents with concerns about sick backyard chickens should contact the PA Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 717-772-2852 (option 1).
Avian influenza has been in the local news recently, including snow geese deaths at two locations in the Lehigh Valley and two poultry farms in Delaware. Nationally, nearly 1,000 dairy herds have tested positive for this flu. More than 60 people across the country have now tested positive for H5N1, and one person has died. The vast majority of those who have tested positive were exposed directly to poultry farms or dairy herds.
For the latest information, see the Health Department’s regularly updated blog post on H5N1 avian influenza in Philadelphia.
