Avian influenza has come for New York City ’s birds . In a new written report Wednesday , scientist report vestige of extremely pathogenic H5N1 in a small bit of NYC ’s wild fowl population . Though this uncovering may not be directly related to the ongoing outbreaks of H5N1 in U.S. dairy cattle , it ’s another signboard that these virus are infringe ever further into humanity ’s way .
The research , publishedWednesday in the Journal of Virology , was the result of a novel collaborationism between several groups : the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , the Wild Bird Fund , and Biobus , a programme that recruits high school and college students to participate in scientific research .
“ To my knowledge , this is the first big - scurf U.S. study of avian influenza in an urban area , and the first with participating biotic community involvement , ” say study generator Christine Marizzi , theatre director of community scientific discipline at Harlem ’s Biobus internet site , in astatementfrom the American Society for Microbiology , publishers of the work . Marizzi is also the lead researcher of the New York City Virus Hunters ( NYCVH ) Program .
Scientists found traces of H5N1 in six wild birds across four different species, including the Canada goose. Above, a Canada goose is seen in NYC’s Roosevelt Island on 6 January 2025.Image: Anadolu (Getty Images)
Many of the sample distribution of bird poop analyzed by the researchers were collected by local high school students wearing protective gear . Other samples were provided by local animal rehabilitation center . Students also avail the NYCVH screen for virus in these sampling .
All tell , the researchers seem at nearly 2,000 fecal sample roll up between January 2022 to November 2023 throughout NYC ’s Park and light-green spaces . They found H5N1 in six birds across four unlike species : the Canada goose , the peregrine falcon , the domestic wimp , and the red - tailed hawk . Genetic analysis further let on that at least two slightly different strain of H5N1 among these sample . Both extend belong to the broad 2.3.4.4.b clade of H5N1 and seem to be a mix of local North American and Eurasiatic lineages of the virus .
To engagement , no outbreaks of H5N1 have been report on any dairy farm farms within New York ’s delimitation ( the state has about3,500 farms ) , while the only human case linked to these outbreaks so faroccurredin Texas . So the squad ’s findings do n’t seem to be connected to the current situation in cows , nor do they of necessity indicate any contiguous risk to NYC residents , the writer note .
“ It is important to observe that , because we detect H5N1 in city boo , this does not signal the scratch line of a human flu pandemic . We know that H5N1 has been around in New York City for about 2 yr , and there have been no human cases report , ” Marizzi said .
But the arrival of H5N1 in New York is concerning nonetheless . The more these viruses disperse among birds close to us , the more potential that some will make the jumping to world or other mammalian . With enough bad luck , one of these strains could then pluck up the good compounding of mutations that would turn it into a fast - fan out , baneful pandemic .
So even if the in vogue outbreaks in cattle are successfully managed , H5N1 and other highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses will continue a never-ending job that scientists such as Marizzi will have to keep a argus-eyed center on . And New Yorkers should still stay deliberate about potentially exposing themselves to H5N1 and other brute - spread germs .
“ It ’s smart to stay alert and appease off from wildlife . This also include preventing your pet from convey in close contact with wildlife , ” Marizzi say .
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