ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — The current strain of avian influenza, H5N1, poses only a low risk to humans and doesn’t spread from person to person, according to public safety officials. Although no cases of bird flu were detected in humans or livestock within the state so far, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) said that it stands ready to conduct widespread testing if needed.
Avian flu has circulated in nature for years, with cases documented in five birds—a snowy owl, a Cooper’s hawk, a peregrine falcon, and two snow geese—in New York since November 2024. Besides birds, the virus was also diagnosed in foxes, skunks, bobcats, opossums, and raccoons since 2022.
Experts believe the virus can cause severe illness in some animals but rarely infects humans, with most cases linked to close contact with infected birds or contaminated materials. Even so, officials have warned farmers, hunters, and the public not to touch sick or dead birds.
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