New York poultry shops have been told to close for a while because of worries about bird flu.
Poultry markets must shut down completely for cleaning, even if there is no evidence of bird flu.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered a temporary closure of live-poultry markets after bird flu was found in the outer boroughs of New York City.
The order, signed by Hochul on Friday, requires the markets to close down between Feb. 7 and Feb. 14 as facilities undergo a full disinfection process.
Markets that have not had bird flu cases must sell all their products and close for five days after cleaning in New York City and the counties of Westchester, Suffolk, and Nassau.
Sellers with signs of bird flu in their birds must reach out to the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Hochul called the move proactive, even though there were seven cases of bird flu found in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn in the first week of the month.
“My top priority will always be to keep New Yorkers safe, and I have directed our state agencies to use all available resources to ensure we are taking every measure necessary to keep the risk to the public low,” Hochul said.
The Wildlife Conservation Society reported on Saturday that three ducks at the Queens Zoo died from bird flu.
The Bronx Zoo reported that at least 12 birds died, and they可能 were exposed to the virus. Lab tests need to be done to find out the reason of death.
“The conservation society said, ‘As a safety measure, we have relocated vulnerable bird species to protected areas in our parks over the past two weeks.'” “Our veterinarians and curators are keeping a close eye on the situation in the area and are working with city, state, and federal agencies.”
Worries about bird flu are increasing in the U.S. because more cases are being reported, which is driving up the price of eggs. Thieves stole 100,000 eggs in Pennsylvania earlier this week, which are worth about $40,000.
In late January, New York Attorney General Letitia James cautioned businesses not to raise prices unfairly.
“James said that the bird flu is impacting chicken farms and leading to a national shortage, but that doesn’t mean businesses should raise prices a lot.”
Poultry leftovers aren’t the only things causing concern. A new type of bird flu has been found in dairy cows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said a different strain was found in Nevada cows for the first time through genome analysis of milk.
The Nevada Department of Agriculture was looking into situations on farms and trying to stop the spread, according to the USDA.
Research has found that heating milk through industrial pasteurization kills the virus, making the milk safe to drink.
