By Tom Gilbert

There is a new virus circulating – a virus that people should be aware of, but not necessarily worried about being caught. No, this is not another variant of COVID-19.

New Jersey wildlife and agriculture officials are monitoring an outbreak of avian flu affecting wild and domestic birds in 20 states; mainly along the Atlantic flyway, including this state we find ourselves in.

So far, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has not resulted in any confirmed bird deaths in New Jersey, but it may only be a matter of time.

Dr. Nicole Lewis, a pathologist for the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, tests a group of recently found dead Brant geese.

“We know we have it here,” Lewis said, explaining that wild waterfowl and shorebirds are considered “natural reservoirs” of bird flu, but often don’t develop symptoms.

For example, a sample of wild ducks in New Jersey that were trapped for testing came back positive for bird flu. However, the ducks showed no signs of illness.

But, as with COVID-19, infected people without symptoms can still spread the disease to others.

Lewis was first alerted to HPAI a few months ago after a mixed flock of around 300 birds in Newfoundland, Canada, was hit with a sudden illness.

“It was a menagerie of birds and they all died,” she said.

Bird flu causes neurological symptoms including seizures, falls, muscle twitching and difficulty flying. Most birds that show symptoms die within 24 to 48 hours.

Wild birds considered most at risk include eagles, snow geese, snowy owls, mergansers, swans, mallards, vultures, hawks, gulls and shorebirds.

In eastern Pennsylvania, the HPAI virus has just been confirmed in a bald eagle found dead in Chester County.

A diagnosis is pending on five Hooded Mergansers recovered from a northwestern Pennsylvania lake; four were found dead and the fifth was euthanized after showing neurological symptoms.

Cases have also been reported in wild birds in New York and Maryland.

Fortunately, the disease doesn’t seem to affect backyard birds like chickadees, cardinals and finches, according to Lewis.

“Songbirds tend to be resilient, so we don’t have to worry about their impact,” she said.

Perhaps the most vulnerable bird populations are domestic fowl – chickens, ducks and turkeys – including the flocks that many New Jerseyans raise in their backyards to produce eggs.

“HPAI is spread through contact with bodily secretions, including feces and eye, nasal, or oral secretions of infected birds,” according to a notice from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. “The virus can spread on vehicles, equipment, footwear, etc. Practicing good biosecurity can help prevent the spread of HPAI on your farm.”

The droppings of wild birds flying over flocks of domestic poultry are thought to have contributed to the spread of the disease.

Although HPAI can potentially infect humans, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that the current outbreak of avian influenza poses little health risk to the general public.

“There’s always a risk, but it’s pretty low,” Lewis said.

The people most likely to contract cases of bird flu, she said, are those who work in close contact with birds.

New Jersey volunteers who work with birds — or even just watch them — are made aware of the disease as a precaution.

For example, biologist Larissa Smith of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey alerts volunteers who monitor bald eagle nests across the state.

“We just want everyone to know the disease is here and they need to be careful,” Smith said, especially if they come across dead or injured birds.

What should members of the public do if they encounter sick or dead birds?

“If you find a bird that seems very depressed or downcast, or if you approach it and it doesn’t fly away, that could be a neurological symptom,” Lewis said.

For sick or injured birds, search online for “New Jersey Wildlife Rehabilitation” and call the facility closest to the sick bird’s location.

To report dead birds, call the state Department of Environmental Protection hotline at 1-877-WARNDEP. Dead birds should not be touched or picked up.

Tom Gilbert is co-executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Far Hills.