New York State’s Response to Avian Influenza

  • The Department of Health is working closely with local, state, and national partners to monitor the national outbreak of avian influenza.
  • The Department of Health, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSAGM), and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) are working together to protect the health of people and animals across New York State.
  • Multiple state agencies are capable of quickly detecting the virus that causes avian influenza and are vigilantly testing both people and animals for the virus as indicated.

What is the Department of Health doing to prevent the spread of avian influenza?

While the risk of avian influenza to people is currently considered low, the Department of Health is using multiple strategies to prevent transmission of avian influenza in our state and rapidly detect and respond to any cases should they occur. We are working closely with other agencies including the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSAGM), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stay up to date on the latest outbreak data. If a person is exposed to an animal with avian influenza in New York, the Department of Health works with local health departments to monitor that person for illness and test for avian influenza if symptoms develop.

Prevention Measures

Since the beginning of the outbreak in the United States, the Department of Health strengthened and expanded partnerships to protect the health and safety of animals and farm workers in New York State. the Department of Health has created flyers and messages to raise awareness among farmworkers, farm owners, and healthcare providers. We have developed tools and guidance for local health departments to ensure a swift, efficient response in the case of human exposure and/or infection in New York State. We are working closely with local health departments to update state and local pandemic plans for avian influenza based on the most current knowledge and recommendations for avian influenza.

Detection and Response Measures

New York State agencies are ready to quickly respond to a human case of avian influenza. We closely monitor seasonal influenza data, and we are enhancing this routine surveillance to detect potential cases of avian influenza. A few examples of these efforts include online training for local health department staff on how to collect samples, placing test kits at Department of Health offices throughout the state, swiftly transporting samples from field locations to Wadsworth Center for testing, storing antiviral medications, and keeping open lines of communication with other state agencies and local partners to make testing and treatment more available. The Department of Health is in constant communication with the CDC and is able to adapt to the changing outbreak situation.

What is biosurveillance?

Biosurveillance is a systematic process to detect and identify bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other microbial pathogens (germs) in the environment or a particular location that may cause disease in people, animals, or plants. Once identified, public health officials can take action to prevent disease spread. Read on to learn how biosurveillance is used to monitor for avian influenza in people in animals.

What is New York State doing to detect avian influenza?

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSAGM) conducts biosurveillance for avian influenza in sick domestic poultry in New York. If avian influenza is detected in domestic poultry, NYSAGM works together with the USDA to prevent it from spreading to other flocks. Find more information about avian influenza in New York poultry.

The USDA APHIS Wildlife Services program is responsible for conducting biosurveillance and testing for diseases, including avian influenza, among wild birds. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) works with USDA APHIS Wildlife Services to obtain samples for testing from wild waterfowl harvested by hunters. DEC is also testing any unusual die-offs of wild birds to help detect the spread of avian influenza, use this link to report bird die-offs to DEC: NYSDEC Avian Influenza Reporting Form. Find more information about avian influenza in wild birds.

NYSAGM conducts routine avian influenza testing of cattle. The Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell tests for avian influenza in ill cattle and other animals. Dairy cows that are producing milk are tested for avian influenza before being transported in and out of the state or before entering fairs or exhibitions in New York State.

Beginning January 2025, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSAGM) is participating in the USDA National Milk Testing Strategy to help detect avian influenza early in New York cattle. Read more about milk testing in New York .

People who are exposed to avian influenza will be monitored for symptoms of avian influenza infection from the time of the exposure until 10 days after their last exposure. If someone develops symptoms, the local health department will help that person get tested for avian influenza virus and treatment with antiviral medication.

Wadsworth Center, the New York State public health laboratory, is also increasing laboratory surveillance for human influenza, testing hundreds of specimens each week they receive from New York diagnostic laboratories and hospitals. The lab tests for influenza virus and then subtypes the influenza virus to verify that there are only seasonal strains of influenza circulating. The lab then does sequence analysis to see if there are genetic changes, and tests whether antiviral drugs continue to be effective against the virus. These important tools detect novel influenza viruses in people, including the virus that causes avian influenza. To date, no human cases of avian influenza have been detected in New York. If a person tests positive through laboratory surveillance, local health departments along with the Department of Health would investigate to try to determine how that person was exposed.

Testing wastewater for pathogens helps public health officials to monitor germs in the environment. New York State uses wastewater testing to better understand trends in diseases caused by influenza viruses including the virus that causes avian influenza. If the avian influenza virus is detected in wastewater, it could indicate that animals or humans nearby are infected with influenza, providing public health and agriculture officials with valuable information they can use to investigate potential outbreaks.

Public health officials usually cannot say for sure whether an avian influenza virus in wastewater came from a person, cow, bird, or other animal. The process is very challenging and requires advanced genetic testing. Scientists at Wadsworth Center are performing in-depth studies to advance what we can learn from wastewater samples.

Learn more about wastewater surveillance in New York State.