Authorities issue warning after 60 birds found dead from suspected bird flu

Plymouth, MassachusettsOfficials alerted the public Sunday that more than 60 birds found dead in the Billington Sea are suspected to have died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu.

On Sunday morning, members of Clean Harbor waste management who were hired by the state Department of Environmental Protection, as well as state officials, came to Billington Sea to remove numerous geese, swans and other dead wildlife from the pond.

The day before, the state ornithologist told city officials that a dead goose taken out of Plymouth was “highly suspected” of having bird flu or bird flu.

Since there is only one laboratory in the US that can officially confirm a positive case of bird flu, a definitive answer could take up to a week, officials said.

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Still, state officials say they will begin testing the birds pulled from the Billington Sea to determine the official cause of death.

State and local officials advised the public to avoid contact with sick or dead wild birds and other animals that could be infected with avian influenza viruses, and to wear protective equipment if handling wild animals cannot be avoided.

Those who raise poultry should also take precautions, as bird flu can be transmitted through direct contact between birds.

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“Poultry owners should keep their birds away from wild waterfowl, limit the number of people who have access to their flock, and, if sharing equipment with other bird owners, clean and disinfect between locations,” the company said. Plymouth Public Health Director Karen Keane.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says handling infected birds is unlikely to cause illness in people. However, there have been 67 human cases of bird flu since 2022, and 66 of those cases occurred in 2024.

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In fact, safety precautions continue to increase as cases of bird flu continue to appear in the US.

On Thursday, the CDC announced its recommendation for more rapid and extensive testing of hospitalized patients with influenza A to distinguish between seasonal flu and bird flu.

Accelerated “subtyping” of influenza A in hospitalized patients is a response to “sporadic human infections” of avian influenza, the CDC wrote in a news release.

The goal is to avoid delays in identifying bird flu infections and promote better patient care, “timely infection control” and case investigation, the agency said.

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According to the CDC, these delays are more likely to occur during flu season due to the high volume of patients.

Fox News Digital’s Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.