State and national officials are warning Pennsylvanians to stay alert for signs of avian influenza as migrating birds return to the state, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking the public to help monitor sick and dead birds.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Protection Service says detections of the virus tend to be higher in the fall and spring because wild birds continue spreading it as they migrate to seasonal homes.
A USDA map tracking commercial flocks with confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza shows 53 confirmed flocks with the virus in the United States.
Pennsylvania is seeing the most cases, with nearly 13 commercial flocks and eight backyard flocks affected, totaling nearly 7.5 million birds impacted by the outbreak.
Those cases are all in Lancaster County.
While the USDA handles commercial cases, the Pennsylvania Game Commission monitors wild bird cases in the state.
Travis Lau of the Game Commission said southwestern Pennsylvania has not seen concerning amounts of wild flock cases.
He said cases have been reported this year in Westmoreland, Allegheny and Somerset counties, but those incidents were isolated and not in large numbers.
Officials are still asking people to report sick or dead birds.
Lau advised taking bird feeders down and emptying bird baths to help ensure a potential outbreak is not made worse.
The CDC notes bird flu can spread to humans and other mammals.
To avoid the virus, the Game Commission says the public should avoid contact with wild birds or their feces.
The Game Commission is encouraging waterfowl and upland bird hunters to continue participating in open game seasons, while taking proper precautions when handling and dressing birds.
Sick or dead domestic birds can be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Reports of sick or dead wild birds can be made to the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD.
More information is available on the Game Commission’s website.