All live poultry markets in New York City and some of its suburbs were ordered Friday to close for a week after the detection of seven cases of avian flu, per the AP. The virus has also hit farms nationwide, led to the slaughter of millions of birds, and driven up egg prices. Gov. Kathy Hochul said that there is no immediate threat to public health and that the temporary closure of bird markets in the city and its Westchester County and Long Island suburbs comes out of an abundance of caution. No cases of avian flu have been detected among humans in New York, officials said.
The order came after birds infected with the virus were found during routine inspections of live bird markets in the New York City boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. The CDC has said the virus poses low risk to the general public. The agency said there have been 67 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans in the US, with illnesses mild and mostly detected among farmworkers who were exposed to sick poultry or daily cows. The first bird flu death in the US was reported last month in Louisiana, with health officials saying the person was older than 65, had underlying medical problems, and had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.
In New York, live bird markets where the virus was detected must dispose of all poultry in a sanitary manner, according to the state's order. Other bird markets that do not have cases will have to sell off remaining poultry within three days, clean and disinfect, and then remain closed for at least five days and be inspected by state officials before reopening.
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