By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — While no cases of bird flu have been confirmed in local poultry or cattle, Cattaraugus County health officials remain concerned over the possibility of H5N1 transmission here.
Cattaraugus County Public Health Director Dr. Kevin D. Watkins said last week that the virus had been confirmed recently in Downstate poultry. “It is highly pathogenic,” he explained.
The farms where the H5N1 virus was detected were ordered to destroy the birds — almost 100,000 ducks on Long Island— and to clean and disinfect buildings, equipment and grounds. A large number of shore birds on Long Island and geese in Westchester County have also died from H5N1.
“Like influenza, it is very contagious,” Watkins told the Board of Health Friday. “Birds are dying in large numbers.”
More than 140 million chickens at infected farms have been killed in the past year. This has led to a widespread temporary shortage of eggs, pushing the price up steeply.
Human cases are starting to pop up, which is of great concern to health officials.
The H5N1 virus is carried by wild birds in their intestinal tract. It can be shed by these birds through various means, such as saliva, feces, and nasal secretions.
There have been 67 cases of bird flu in humans in this country including 40 who apparently caught it from dairy cattle and 23 were poultry workers, Watkins said. No human-to-human transmission has been reported, he added. One human H5N1 death has been reported, he said.
Locally, Watkins advised residents to avoid sick or dead animals and to use gloves and a mask if p[lacing a dead bird in a bag for disposal. Wash your hands thoroughly afterward, he added.
For those farmworkers milking cows, he suggested they wear gloves and avoid touching their face.
Physicians should consider a diagnosis of possible H5N1 with symptoms that include a sore throat, runny nose, red eyes and conjunctivitis. Raw milk from a cow with H5N1 could carry the virus.
For humans contracting H5N1, it is recommended that they isolate and take Tamaflu.
On another issue, Watkins said the health department has already taken steps to begin a five-year community health assessment with Olean General Hospital.
The health assessment will include looking at residents’ economic well being, mental health wellbeing and substance abuse, safe and healthy communities, Pre-K-12 student success, health insurance coverage and healthy children, Watkins said. The assessment may involve up to 300 respondents.
The Board of Health also agreed to write off $6,076 in uncollected debt from 2024, $4,869 less than was written off in 2023. Watkins said $2,668 of the debt was from the home care program and $3,089 from the health department clinic.
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