U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) demanded the Trump administration take action to “develop and approve” a bird flu vaccine for poultry as the virus continues to spread across New York state.
During a virtual press conference, Gillibrand said that despite Trump saying he would address the crisis, she is “concerned that his administration's recent actions to stop releasing critical data on the spread of bird flu and to fire USDA officials working to address the spread do not inspire much confidence in his ability to do so.”
“Our farmers, consumers, and communities need to know that their government is taking this threat seriously and that we are doing everything we can to protect our workers, businesses, and our larger economy,” she added.
In a letter to multiple government agencies, Gillibrand laid out the difficulties of inoculating birds against the disease, stating that it would require “novel solutions in terms of vaccine delivery, such as additions to water or feed, as direct vaccine injection is not feasible on larger commercial operations.”
150 million birds have been culled to curb the spread of the virus, including almost 100,000 ducks at the Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has detected bird flu in three dozen counties, including Long Island. According to the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, over 25 confirmed cases of the virus in birds have been reported in Suffolk County since January.
“I will keep working with my colleagues in Congress to develop a comprehensive response to this epidemic, and I will be monitoring the situation closely to identify our next steps forward,” Gillibrand said.
The DEC said to submit information about sightings of dead birds online, and not to touch dead birds.
