‘Bird flu’ suspected to be impacting geese and other wildlife in Plymouth, officials say

PLYMOUTH, Mass. — State officials for the town of Plymouth are informing the public that HPAI, (otherwise known as avian influenza or bird flu) is the suspected cause of over 60 dead geese, swans, and other wildlife found in Plymouth.

At 9 AM Sunday morning, members of the Clean Harbor waste management, contracted by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and state officials reported to Billington Sea to safely remove affected deceased birds.

State wildlife officials along with the Department of Public Health worked together in hazmat suits to remove as many dead birds as possible Sunday.

They’ll be testing the birds to see if in fact they had Avian Influenza, and now, their concern is the risk of exposure to other animals.

The town of Plymouth was informed by the Massachusetts State Ornithologist on Saturday, January 18, that a dead goose removed from the town was “highly suspected” of having bird flu.

“It’s a little disconcerting to look out at a pond and to see dead birds on ice and struggling,” said Karen Keane, Plymouth’s Director of Public Health.

Being that there is only one lab in the U.S. that can officially confirm a positive case, it could take up to a week for a definitive result.

Dan Forand studies wildlife and owns Pilgrim Pest Professionals.

He says Avian Influenza has already been detected in birds across the country, but now the cold weather may make matters worse here.

“The problem now is that when the ice comes in, the waterfowl all congregate to the limited bodies of water that are still open, so in this case in Plymouth if you were to drive around to 95 percent of the ponds prior to today’s warmth, all of them were totally frozen over,” said Forand. “And just like people when people get sick the sheer number of birds all jammed in together is believed to be a cause of spreading Avian Influenza.”

Members of MassWildlife, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) have advised the public to:

• Strictly avoid handling any sick or dead birds or other animals.
• Follow the best practices of hunting geese while handling and processing wild game.
• Keeping pets safe and away from wildlife. Cats are highly susceptible to HPAI and may die from an infection. Cat owners in affected areas should keep their pets indoors to prevent them from being exposed to infected wildlife.

Keane said she’s more concerned about people’s pets contracting the disease.

“Keep them leashed at all times, don’t let them run around in the woods or anything like that because if they do pick up one of these dead birds, or injured birds or sick birds, they could get sick themselves,” said Keane.

“So people who have backyard poultry, backyard farms, it’s important that they keep their flocks separate from other flocks because it’s highly contagious,” said Keane.

Keane says it’s extremely rare for a person to get bird flu, but people are most susceptible if they are in close contact with sick or dead birds.

To report any possible sick or dead birds, the public is advised to contact the Division of Animal Health at (617) 626-1795, your local Animal Control officer, or visit mass.gov/reportbirds

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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