Nearly 100,000 ducks will be killed at Long Island’s last major commercial duck farm after bird flu was detected at the Suffolk County facility.
Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue has played host to numerous state and federal officials and inspectors after the discovery last week, Newsday reported.
“You constantly monitor your flock — three times a day. One day things looked unusual. I noticed a few lethargic birds that didn’t seem right,” farm president Doug Corwin told the outlet.
The birds tested positive for H5N1 influenza, the bird flu that has been infecting people, poultry and pets since 2022.
No people working at Crescent Duck Farm or other nearby animals have tested positive for H5N1, according to News 12 Long Island. The farm was quarantined, and its 99,000 birds will be euthanized to prevent any spread of the disease.
Long Island was once known for its extensive duck farming industry, but Crescent Duck Farm is the last commercial farm still standing. Corwin told Newsday he wasn’t sure the operation would survive the euthanasia of the entire flock.
“This isn’t my job, it’s my life,” he told the paper. “It’s my legacy. I think we’re kind of iconic, considering we are what Long Island was known for. And I just don’t want it to end this way.”
While bird flu easily circulates in wild birds, its spread to other animals has caused problems for the American food industry. Last week, a poultry plant in Georgia had to shut down after multiple chickens tested positive.
Throughout the U.S., 67 people have been infected by H5N1 during the lengthy outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One person, identified only as a Louisiana man older than 65, died a few weeks ago.
The man had been in contact with sick and dying infected birds in a backyard flock, according to a CDC investigation.