By Katherine Tinsley
1:33pm PST, Jan 24, 2025
Crescent Duck Farm President Doug Corwin was disappointed in the outcome, as the location is the largest major commercial duck farm in Suffolk County and one of the last in Long Island, N.Y.
"You constantly monitor your flock − three times a day. One day things looked unusual. I noticed a few lethargic birds that didn't seem right," Corwin told Newsday after employees noticed the animals were sick. "It's my legacy. I think we're kind of iconic, considering we are what Long Island was known for. And I just don't want it to end this way."
"Unfortunately, when you have a situation like this where you have a flock that's infected, the remedy is to put the entire flock down," he added.
Bird flu typically impacts wild bird populations, but in recent years, there has been an increase in cases amongst chickens, ducks and cattle. The state of Georgia revealed a commercial flock was infected with the disease.
"This is a serious threat to Georgia's No. 1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state's poultry industry," Tyler Harper, who is the state agriculture commissioner, said in a statement.
"We are working around the clock to mitigate any further spread of the disease and ensure that normal poultry activities in Georgia can resume as quickly as possible," he continued.
The CDC has been monitoring the rise of bird flu, as people have contracted it.
"Avian influenza A viruses infect the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of birds causing birds to shed the virus in their saliva, mucus, and feces," the CDC says on its website. "Influenza A viruses can also infect the respiratory tract of mammals and cause systemic infection in other organ tissues."
Even though there has been an increase in bird flu diagnoses amongst people, the organization notes that humans coming down with the condition is rare.
