Migratory birds can act as vectors for the H5N1 bird flu, like the geese seen here flying over Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
Animal control officials euthanized a mixed flock of domestic ducks, turkey, geese, and guinea fowl at a farm in southern Washington County Friday after the birds tested positive for H5N1 avian flu, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced.
“DEM’s proactive response plan to H5N1 bird detections includes responding quickly to reports of sick or dying domestic birds, obtaining samples, and submitting these samples to nationally accredited labs for a diagnosis,” said Scott Marshall, the state veterinarian tasked with leading the state’s H5N1 response, in a statement Friday.
The approximately 40 birds were considered a non-commercial flock, which means “a smaller group of birds kept by individuals for personal use, and not a commercial poultry producer for market sale,” according to an email from Evan LaCross, a DEM spokesperson.
The flu’s mortality rate is high for poultry. After confirmation by a laboratory at the University of Connecticut, the infected domestic birds were euthanized within 24 hours. The birds were humanely euthanized by DEM’s Animal Health Unit to alleviate the birds’ suffering and to protect other birds from infection, according to the DEM statement.
Since its arrival stateside in 2022, H5N1 bird flu has been found in every state. The strain is considered low-risk for humans by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and no human-to-human transmission has been recorded. Rhode Island has not had any human cases of H5N1, and has had only one previous case of an H5N1 infection in birds. That first case happened in a backyard flock in 2022, according to DEM.
Like Friday’s infected birds, the 2022 flock were not headed for the food supply, which remains safe, state officials said.
“While the public health risk of H5N1 remains low, the Rhode Island Department of Health has been coordinating closely with DEM for months on preparedness measures and has been communicating regularly with the healthcare professional community,” said Dr. Jerry Larkin, the health department’s director, in a statement Friday. “Some basic prevention measures, such as avoiding contact with sick and dead animals, can help people stay healthy and safe.”
Cows can also acquire H5N1, but pasteurization kills the virus if it’s present in milk. There have been milk samples positive for H5N1 in Rhode Island. The only case in a mammal ever recorded in the state involved a fox in 2023.
“The key to keeping domestic birds healthy is to have biosecurity practices in place, which involve restricting access to and keeping people away from your birds, keeping your birds separated from all wild birds, particularly migratory waterfowl, and keeping cages, coops, and clothes clean and disinfected,” Marshall said.
Wild birds are a known and common vector for the flu. Rhode Island sits on the Atlantic Flyway, a major throughway for birds migrating from north to south. The variety and number of wild birds in the area contributes to possible infections, DEM officials said.
DEM asks the public to report sick or dying birds. Reports of ill domestic birds should go to DEM’s Division of Agriculture, while sightings of sick, wild birds should go to the DEM’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.
“As always, the public should not touch sick or dead birds and should keep dogs on leashes and away from carcasses,” the DEM statement noted.
A study published in December in the New England Journal of Medicine found that human cases of bird flu in some states since 2022 generally involved mild illness, with conjunctivitis, or pink eye, named the most common symptom. The 46 cases studied show no evidence of human transmission, and all but one of the cases involved people known to work directly with poultry birds or dairy cows. None of the patients died, and the median illness duration was four days. The antiviral oseltamivir treated 87% of the patients.
“Why recent U.S. cases have generally been clinically mild remains unclear; early detection and initiation of antiviral treatment may play a role,” the study’s authors noted. The researchers also pointed out “suboptimal” use of protective equipment like eyewear and gloves among the infected patients who worked with animals.
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