All dwell chicken markets in New York Metropolis and in a number of close by counties should shut briefly in hopes of curbing the unfold of chicken flu, which was detected at among the markets up to now week, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced on Friday.
The order, which got here from the state’s Division of Agriculture and Markets, impacts the roughly 80 dwell markets in New York Metropolis and in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Seven instances of chicken flu had been detected at markets in Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Markets with confirmed instances should do away with their stock, whereas these the place chicken flu has not been detected have three days to both promote or eliminate all their stock. All markets should then be cleaned and disinfected earlier than closing for no less than 5 days.
“Safeguarding public well being is all about being proactive,” Governor Hochul stated in a press release, including that she would “proceed to take these measured, commonsense steps” to attempt to cease the unfold of the virus.
In response to the avian flu instances in New York, operators of dwell chicken markets in New Jersey have been requested to voluntarily clear and disinfect their markets and gear as soon as their present inventory is gone and to then shut for 3 to 4 days earlier than reopening with dwell birds, a state Agriculture Division spokesman stated on Friday.
State officers have additionally requested New Jersey firms that distribute to dwell chicken markets to wash and disinfect their operations, the spokesman, Jeff Wolfe, stated. Observe-up testing of dwell markets and distributors can be carried out, he added.
There have been no avian flu instances in poultry, together with at dwell markets and in yard flocks, in New Jersey final yr and there haven’t been any to this point this yr, in accordance with the Agriculture Division.
H5N1, a type of chicken flu, has affected greater than 156 million business, yard and wild birds in the US since 2022. As chicken flu has unfold throughout the globe, public well being consultants have change into more and more involved about dwell animal markets.
There have been round 70 dwell animal markets in New York Metropolis as of final yr, a few of which had been close to colleges and residential buildings. Most of them butcher and promote chickens, geese and quails, whereas round 1 / 4 additionally slaughter bigger animals like sheep, goats, cows and pigs. They promote each to native eating places and to most of the people.
James McDonald, the state well being commissioner, stated in a press release on Friday that chicken flu didn’t current a direct menace to public well being and that there have been no identified instances of chicken flu in New Yorkers. Individuals who commonly work together with livestock and wild birds ought to put on private protecting gear when involved with them, he added.
Michelle Morse, the appearing commissioner of the town’s Well being Division, stated in a press release on Friday that the danger would enhance if the virus developed the power to transmit between individuals. The division was working with the state to ensure that individuals who work at dwell markets are knowledgeable and obtain therapy in the event that they develop signs.
Nonetheless, some believed the state’s order on Friday didn’t go far sufficient.
“Whereas I’m glad that lastly the governor is waking as much as what a critical hazard to the general public these markets maintain, it isn’t sufficient to merely shut them down for one week,” stated Edita Birnkrant, the manager director of New Yorkers for Clear, Livable and Protected Streets, an animal rights group that has documented what it describes because the “horrific situations” at dwell markets for a number of years.
Ms. Birnkrant stated that when the markets reopen, they’ll nonetheless obtain hundreds of birds and different animals which might be sick with chicken flu and different illnesses.
Linda Rosenthal, a Democratic member of the State Meeting from Manhattan, stated that the markets needs to be closed for the foreseeable future and that it was a mistake to permit a few of them to promote their birds for 3 extra days earlier than cleansing and shutting.
Since 2019, she has repeatedly launched a invoice that may create a activity pressure to check the markets’ security to find out whether or not they need to proceed to function.
“We’ve been following all of the violations and inspections of those markets, and so they persistently are given violations by the Division of Agriculture and Markets for filthy situations, grime buildup, blood all over,” she stated.
“I don’t assume in 5 days something might be resolved,” she stated.
New York State inspectors closed seven institutions for 5 days on common after they had been hit by chicken flu — not all had been H5N1 — in 2022 and 2023, however allowed them to reopen after cleansing and disinfection.
Final month, the proprietor of a duck farm on Lengthy Island stated 100,000 geese needed to be killed after chicken flu was detected there.
Apoorva Mandavilli and Tracey Tully contributed reporting.
