New York Live Bird Markets Ordered to Close After Bird Flu Is Found

All live bird markets in New York City and in several nearby counties must close temporarily in hopes of curbing the spread of bird flu, which was detected at some of the markets in the past week, Gov.Kathy Hochul announced on Friday.The order, which came from the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, affects the roughly 80 live markets in New York City and in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Seven cases of bird flu had been detected at markets in Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn.Markets with confirmed cases must get rid of their inventory, while those where bird flu has not been detected have three days to either sell or dispose of all their inventory.All markets must then be cleaned and disinfected before closing for at least five days.“Safeguarding public health is all about being proactive,” Governor Hochul said in a statement, adding that she would “continue to take these measured, common-sense steps” to try to stop the spread of the virus.H5N1, a form of bird flu, has affected more than 156 million commercial, backyard and wild birds in the United States since 2022.

As bird flu has spread across the globe, public health experts have become increasingly concerned about live animal markets.There were around 70 live animal markets in New York City as of last year, some of which were near schools and residential buildings.Most of them butcher and sell chickens, duck and quail, while around a quarter also slaughter larger animals like sheep, goats, cows and pigs.

They sell both to local restaurants and to the general public.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....