Dozens of dead birds found on Long Island beach believed to have died from avian flu

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Birds washed up on Patchogue Shores in East Patchogue, N.Y.

Birds washed up on Patchogue Shores in East Patchogue, N.Y.

A Long Island beachside community in Suffolk County is worried about dozens of dead birds that have washed up on the shore and been found in backyards, especially because officials believe the birds died from avian flu.

Patchogue Shores in East Patchogue has a private community beach. Earlier this week, Tim Jones, the vice president of their association, was walking along the beach with his family when he noticed many dead birds.We tested the most popular space heater of 2025. Here's the #1

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“I saw three seagulls, a cormorant, and I got a count of 11 ducks,” explained Jones.

NBC New York walked with him and saw a dead gull, a dead goose bobbing in the water and various other smaller birds strewn along the small stretch of sand.

Jones contacted the Department of Environmental Conservation. The DEC said it appeared to be avian flu because there have been cases in Suffolk County and Nassau County before. Officials from the department urged the community to close the beach to avoid any contact with the dead birds.

While bird-to-human transmission has been extremely low, the avian flu can be spread by direct contact through saliva, secretions and feces. It can also be spread through viral particles in the air and consumption of raw food and milk.

Earlier this month, bird flu was detected at Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue. The farms owner forced to euthanize nearly a 100,000 ducks.Type 2 Isn’t From Sweets — Experts Point to This Common Spice

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Residents of Patchogue Shores are staying away from the beach for now, hoping the issue will be resolved as the weather gets warmer.

“It’s very frightening, obviously, and I’m not quite sure what we can do about it at this point, other than to stay away,” said resident Janet Bondy, “But that becomes very difficult if you live down here.”

“It’s upsetting because people enjoy this. This is the one place where everybody who lives here enjoys, it’s something to have special, private, and it’s sad,” added Jones.

The DEC says the wind may have brought the influx of dead birds to shore. While they are assessing the reports, they may decide to collect some bird specimens for testing.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

Disaster declaration issued for bird flu outbreak in Weld County

A suspected case of highly pathogenic avian influenza was found at a poultry farm.

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Author: Amanda Kesting

Published: 10:52 PM MST January 30, 2026

Updated: 11:12 PM MST January 30, 2026

WELD COUNTY, Colo. — State officials issued a disaster declaration after a suspected case of bird flu was discovered at a commercial egg farm in Weld County. 

Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera (D) verbally issued the declaration on Thursday evening. Governor Polis (D) is in Washington D.C. to attend the Colorado River negotiation meeting.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said they were informed of a presumptive positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in Weld County. The state is now waiting for confirmation of that positive test from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Iowa.

The disaster declaration “enables state agencies to continue to properly coordinate for mitigation of disease spread, response, consequence management, and recovery efforts.”

Currently, CDPHE said there are no suspected or confirmed cases of avian influenza in humans, and that they will be working to help protect farm workers during the suspected outbreak. The department said they are working with the Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Weld County Health Department to ensure workers at the farm are using personal protective equipment and being screened daily for any symptoms. 

The last human cases of bird flu in Colorado were in 2024, when at least ten people in the state ended up contracting the virus. This included a dairy farm worker who contracted the H5N1 avian flu strain after having direct contact with dairy cows that were infected, and nine people who worked at two different poultry farms in Weld County, including workers who were culling birds that had tested positive for avian flu.