Epidemic (animal)

Dozens of dead geese discovered along the shoreline on Long Island could be the result of a bird flu outbreak.There are now signs up warning the public to avoid direct contact with birds and not touch dead or sick animals and keep pets away.Matthew Thompson is a lifelong resident on the East End, and says it is shocking to see hundreds of dead birds this year amid a bird flu outbreak."I have never seen the geese affected like this or the ducks affected like this," Thompson said. "It's terrible, seeing all of them lying on the ground like that and maybe the disease will spread if foxes start eating them and raccoons and things like that."The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has received more than 700 reports of diseased birds in Suffolk since January, with at least 16 positive cases on Long Island.There have been hundreds of dead geese on the shoreline at Georgica Pond since February, according to Trustee Deputy Clerk Jim Grimes, who aided in the cleanup efforts."We had visibly, at least two to 300 birds right down here that were dead," Grimes said.Officials say the cold weather may have affected the spread of the disease.They had very little open water because everything was frozen over, so what you did is the entire population was condensed into a small open water area," Grimes said.The State DEC has released tips on how to properly report and dispose of the waterfowl, including wearing gloves, avoiding direct contact, and triple-bagging the carcass.With the temperatures warming up, the reports of dead birds washing ashore are less every week.