A sick snow goose in West Philadelphia is the city’s first suspected case of avian flu, health officials say

A snow goose in West Philadelphia’s Carroll Park neighborhood is the city’s first suspected case of a highly contagious avian flu spreading among birds and cattle across the country, Philadelphia health officials said Wednesday.

The goose was found on Jan. 11 on the 1200 block of North 59th Street, officials said in a news release, and preliminary testing from state agriculture officials indicated the bird had avian flu.

City officials described the goose as “ill” but did not say which symptoms the bird displayed or how it had come to health authorities’ attention.

“The threat to Philadelphians from H5N1 remains low, but we are issuing this alert out of an abundance of caution,” Health Commissioner Palak Raval-Nelson said in the news release. “We continue to monitor the situation both here in Philadelphia and across the country.”

More than 60 people have tested positive for avian flu nationwide, and one has died, Philadelphia health officials noted. The vast majority of cases among humans were among people who had direct contact with an infected animal.

Officials said that anyone in Carroll Park who had direct contact with a sick goose around Jan. 11 should call the city health department’s Division of Disease Control at 215-685-6741.

In general, Philadelphians should stay away from wild birds, especially waterfowl like geese and ducks, and report any sick or dead birds to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Residents can call 833-PGC-HUNT, send an email to pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov, or report the bird through the state’s online Wildlife Health Survey.

Nationwide, the spread of avian flu in livestock since 2022 has prompted states including Pennsylvania to ramp up testing and quarantine efforts. Pennsylvania had a high number of cases in domestic flocks earlier in the outbreak, but has so far seen no cases of bird flu in cattle and has not detected a case of the virus in domestic birds in at least a month.

The state has not reported any human cases.

About 200 snow geese were found dead in Lehigh and Northampton Counties earlier this month, and health officials said that preliminary testing by the state had confirmed highly pathogenic avian flu in the birds.

The H5N1 virus binds poorly to human respiratory cells, which means it is not able to easily spread from one person to another. The virus could become a bigger threat to humans if it mutates and becomes better able to latch on to receptors in the respiratory system.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have helped to track the virus through a testing program for livestock, and others are developing an mRNA vaccine for avian flu that was in clinical trials late last year.

Anyone who keeps chickens in the city should also monitor the birds for illness.

According to the city health department’s website, avian flu symptoms include sudden death without any prior illness; a lack of energy or appetite; decreased egg production; swelling or discoloration of a bird’s eyelids, comb, wattle, and shanks; gasping; coughing or sneezing; stumbling or falling; and diarrhea.

Residents can also prevent the spread of bird flu from wild to domestic birds by keeping food and water away from wild birds, and changing clothes and shoes after caring for birds and before entering their homes.

Residents who believe their backyard chickens may be ill should call the state Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services, which runs a 24-hour hotline at 717-772-2852, option 1.

Public health officials have also cautioned against drinking raw, unpasteurized milk because it can contain the virus. The high-heat pasteurization process deactivates the virus.

Residents should avoid cheese made with raw milk as well, the city health department said, and cook poultry, eggs, and other animal products to safe internal temperatures to kill the virus. They also advise handwashing with soap and water after handling raw meat and uncooked eggs.

Staff writer Sarah Gantz contributed to this article.