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DEC Reminds New Yorkers to Stay Alert for Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Published: January 12, 2026
at 03:30 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS DEC
DEC Reminds New Yorkers to Stay Alert for Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds
Expected to Increase Over Winter Months
Interview with DEC Wildlife Health Program Leader,
Kevin Hynes, is available to view
Highly Pathogenic
Avian Influenza (HPAI) continues to infect birds and mammals across the
U.S. and Canada, including New York State. With wild bird mortalities from
HPAI increasing in late fall and peaking over the winter months, the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds New
Yorkers to stay alert.
“Under Governor
Hochul’s leadership, DEC is taking a proactive approach with our
coordinated effort to monitor potential signs of Highly Pathogenic Avian
Influenza in wild birds,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “We
have a great web-based tool for the public to use to report any signs the
viral disease is spreading to different areas of the state.”
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. 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: NYSDEC Avian Influenza Reporting Form. Updates on HPAI
can be found on the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab website.
DEC advises the
public to avoid any contact with sick or dead birds and mammals that may be
infected with HPAI.
There is no way
to contain HPAI infection in wild birds. Be aware 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.
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.
State Health
Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “While avian influenza continues
to affect wildlife, the risk to humans remain low.
New Yorkers can stay safe by avoiding contact with sick or dead birds and
animals and reporting anything unusual. We’re keeping a close eye on the
situation and will continue to share updates as needed.”
State Agriculture
Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The New York State Department of
Agriculture and Markets, the Department of Health, and the Department of
Environmental Conservation are working together to ensure an aggressive,
coordinated, and proactive approach in response to outbreaks of HPAI across
the nation. Our department’s proactive efforts to prevent the spread
of HPAI, including implementing testing and import requirements for dairy
cattle, remain in place. In addition, as we are in the
midst of the migratory season, we encourage vigilance and remind our
farmers to take precautionary measures with strong biosecurity practices on
the farm.”
DEC staff
response to a suspected HPAI mortality event depends on the specific event.
Because the disease is widespread in wild birds and cannot be contained,
strategic surveillance is the best approach. DEC prioritizes response to
significant mortality events for waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, crows,
ravens, or any eagles or other raptors in counties where HPAI has not been
detected. With the exception of larger events,
sensitive locations, or vulnerable species, a physical response by staff is
not necessary or likely in most cases.
Where DEC staff
do not provide a physical response and removal is deemed necessary by the
landowner, DEC advises landowners to use disposable gloves, a mask, and eye
protection. Additionally, DEC advises against direct contact with the
carcass or carcass fluids by recommending the use of a shovel and washing
hands and clothing with soap and hot water immediately afterward. Carcasses
disposed of in this way should be triple bagged (garbage or contractor
bags) and put in an outdoor trash receptacle for trash pickup or deposited
at a local landfill.
There is no
treatment for HPAI, and transporting suspected HPAI-infected birds to
wildlife rehabilitation facilities is discouraged to prevent the spread of
the disease to other animals in care. Guidance has also been provided to
licensed wildlife rehabilitators to help them minimize risks to animals in
their care and to aid them in their interactions with the public.
The U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention states that the recent HPAI detections
in birds pose a low risk to the public. HPAI H5N1 has been detected in
more than 70 humans in the U.S., including two mortalities; most of these
cases involved close contact with infected domestic birds or cows. There is
likely little risk for the public, but people with close or prolonged
unprotected contact with infected birds or virus-contaminated environments,
especially immunocompromised people, are at greater risk of infection. No
human-to-human transmission of the virus has been documented.
Status of HPAI in
New York State
Since it was
first introduced into New York State in January 2022, HPAI has been
documented in captive birds in multiple counties and detected in
free-ranging wild birds and mammals throughout the state. Wild bird
mortalities from HPAI increase in late fall and peak over the winter
months, then typically decrease in the late spring and summer months. At
this point, it is widespread in wild birds and even suspected to be present
in counties where it has not yet been detected. Species of wild birds
confirmed as infected in New York State commonly include Snow Goose, Canada
Goose, swans, other waterfowl, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, other raptors,
crows, and shorebirds. Songbirds and other passerine birds do not appear to
be highly susceptible to infection.
In addition to
wild birds, HPAI has also been confirmed in red fox, striped skunk,
Virginia opossum, raccoon, fisher, gray squirrel, muskrat, and bobcat in
New York State, and in a wide range of mammals, particularly carnivores, in
other parts of the U.S. In addition to domestic poultry, dairy cattle in
other states have also been infected.
In November and
December 2025, DEC received 69 reports of suspect mortalities through its
online reporting platform, and presumptive positive cases were detected in
wild birds in 10 counties. With migration beginning, HPAI incidence may
remain high through spring, particularly associated with the migration of
large numbers of ducks and geese through the state.
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