Crescent Duck Farm, the last commercial duck farm on Long Island, New York, is euthanizing its flock of over 100,000 ducks after bird flu was detected, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health. Health officials confirmed the outbreak on January 17 after the farm’s owner noticed signs of illness among the ducks.

The process of euthanizing the flock, which will take more than a week, is a mandated response to prevent further spread. “When you have a flock that’s infected, the remedy is to put the entire flock down,” said Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott in an interview with WABC.

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No farm workers have reported illness so far, though health officials are interviewing exposed individuals and offering preventive measures such as Tamiflu and Tamivir. Education on hygiene and protective equipment is also being provided. Dr. Pigott emphasized that the public health risk remains minimal as the virus is not transmissible between humans at this time.

Nationwide, bird flu has caused outbreaks among poultry, with 67 confirmed human cases in 10 states since April 2024, according to the CDC. Most human cases have been mild, with one fatality reported in Louisiana in a patient with underlying conditions. Health officials maintain there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, keeping the general public’s risk low.