Khaberni - New Jersey has experienced a significant wave of bird deaths over the past few weeks, with thousands of dead or sick birds found, alarming officials and residents alike.
Last month, officials discovered more than 1,100 dead geese on water surfaces across different areas of the state, most of them being Canadian or Brant geese. With the continuing cold weather, more bird deaths were reported this week in Woodstown, Salem County, in the southern state, where the Fish and Wildlife Agency recorded 4,370 dead or sick birds in 20 municipalities across 8 counties.
Officials suspect that the primary cause of the deaths is avian influenza, although some tests have come back negative, leading experts to suggest that freezing temperatures or another virus might be responsible.
The Woodstown Police Department posted a warning on their Facebook page, urging residents not to approach any dead or sick birds, due to recent reports of the highly contagious avian flu (HPAI) in South New Jersey. Experts noted that the current outbreak of bird flu mainly poses a risk to animals more than to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Residents living near Alcyon Lake in Gloucester County reported that birds, usually active and noisy, had become lethargic and sick. They observed dead geese floating on the water surface and sick ones in parks and backyards.
Patrick Conley, a Wildlife Pathology Specialist at the Environmental Protection Agency, said: "Waterfowl flocking in confined areas during this time of year makes them more susceptible to diseases and their rapid spread." He added that the cold weather forced the birds to crowd around open water sources, increasing their density in confined spaces.
Dr. David Berlin, Chief Scientific Officer at the Hackensack Meridian Health Discovery and Innovation Center, noted that the virus affecting the birds is unlikely to be transmitted to humans but emphasized the importance of handling the die-off cases seriously.
In related news, since 2022, the United States has reported occurrences of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, affecting livestock, poultry, cats, raccoons, and bears, with 71 human cases documented since February 2024, resulting in two deaths, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus.
In the past thirty days, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported outbreaks of the flu at 31 backyard farms and 36 commercial farms, affecting 11.5 million birds, while no cases were recorded among livestock. Cases were also detected among wild birds in several states including Colorado, New York, California, Florida, Alaska, and others.
