Bird Flu Found In 2 Hudson County Markets: State Of NJ

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Birds with the potentially fatal avian flu were identified at two live markets in Hudson County this week, state officials said Friday.

The United States Department of Agriculture and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture made the announcement Friday evening, the first such announcement regarding Hudson County markets in 2025.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases were found in three New Jersey live bird markets — two in Hudson County and the other in Mercer County, the state said.

"The risk of HPAI to the general public remains low," state officials said, "and no live poultry were sold to the public that may have been infected. HPAI is highly contagious and often fatal in domestic poultry species."

The live bird market cases were identified through test samples from domestic poultry at each of the Hudson and Mercer County markets as part of routine surveillance, the state said.

Samples were collected during inspections this past Tuesday and Wednesday, they said.

Confirmatory testing is underway at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory.

Avian flu has been spreading across the country, causing farmers to lose their flocks and continuing to drive up egg prices. One Hoboken grocery store put a limit on purchases of eggs last month.

The state said that the live bird markets are quarantined and will not receive new poultry until the quarantine is lifted after a thorough cleaning and disinfection.

“The live bird market operators have been fully compliant with our requests and have taken the necessary steps in efforts to prevent avian influenza in their businesses,” NJDA Secretary Ed Wengryn said. “This shows how prevalent this disease is. We urge all poultry and bird owners to take full precautions by following the necessary biosecurity recommendations.”

People working at the markets are being assessed for exposure and will be monitored for symptoms by the local health department and New Jersey Department of Health, the state said. If any of the exposed individuals develop compatible symptoms, they will be evaluated for HPAI immediately.

Poultry owners, industry workers, and the general public are being reminded to take precautionary measures to ensure the maintenance of a healthy flock.

The state said, "HPAI poses a low risk to the general public and human infections have most often occurred after close or lengthy unprotected contact (such as not wearing gloves, respiratory protection, or eye protections) with infected birds or dairy cattle, or with places that the infected birds or animals have touched."

Individuals who have had close, unprotected contact with infected birds should monitor themselves for symptoms for 10 days following their last exposure.

For additional information about the disease and outreach materials, go to:

https://www.nj.gov/H5N1/
https://www.nj.gov/agriculture...
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aph...

If you encounter sick or dead wild birds, report the finding to the DEP hotline at 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337)