Campaigners and experts are raising the alarm after video footage obtained by BBC Science Focus reveals that inner-city poultry markets in New York are failing to take recommended precautions to protect staff and the public, as bird flu cases in the state continue to rise.
The footage shows staff at several locations in Queens handling birds without basic recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks.
The findings come just weeks after authorities ordered the temporary shutdown of the city’s more than 80 poultry markets, following the detection of bird flu cases in February.
Despite efforts by New York State’s Department of Agriculture and Markets to test source flocks for bird flu before they enter live poultry markets, the virus has still been detected at 16 live bird markets in New York City since the new measures were introduced. By not adhering to best practices for biosecurity, campaigners are concerned that the virus could spread further.
“These live poultry markets are failing to take the most basic biosecurity precautions,” Dr Crystal Heath, the veterinarian who captured the videos earlier this month, told BBC Science Focus. “But it’s officials’ negligence that allows these places to continue to threaten public health.”
Edita Birnkrant, executive director of animal rights non-profit New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets – who has also inspected a number of markets across the city – said conditions inside the markets leave both workers and customers at risk.
“Anybody can just walk in off the street and be exposed to the pathogens there,” she told BBC Science Focus.
Both Heath and Birnkrant are urging public health officials to take stronger action to prevent the further spread of bird flu in New York’s live poultry markets, warning that the markets' location in densely populated neighbourhoods poses, according to Heath, "a risk to public health".
“[The markets] confine multiple species and create the perfect environment for the virus to mix with other species’ influenza viruses, including the human seasonal flu,” Heath said. “These conditions could facilitate viral reassortment (where viruses swap genetic code with each other), creating a new virus that could spread from person to person.”
Heath’s footage captured several apparent breaches of biosecurity recommendations. New York’s Department of Agriculture and Markets told BBC Science Focus on 15 April that best practices for live poultry markets include:
- Discouraging unnecessary visitors
- Using biosecurity signs to warn people not to enter buildings without permission
- Requiring visitors to cover and disinfect footwear
- Screening visitors for recent contact with birds
- Reporting anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds, to the Department.
In response to a request for comment from BBC Science Focus, New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr James McDonald, said: “While there is no immediate threat to public health and no known cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in humans in New York State, I urge everyone who has regular contact with livestock and wild birds to remain vigilant and take precautions by wearing personal protective equipment when you're in contact with these animals.”
Despite these warnings, the Department of Health confirmed it has no plans to mandate the use of PPE in New York’s live poultry markets.
Although no human cases have yet been reported in New York, more than 70 infections have been recorded across the United States, with one fatality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains that there have been no confirmed cases of person-to-person transmission so far and that the risk to the general public remains low.
However, experts warn that each time the virus infects a person, it presents another opportunity for it to evolve. Research has shown that a single mutation in the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain – responsible for the ongoing outbreak – could enable it to transmit more easily between humans.
Prof Jarra Jagne, a poultry specialist, veterinarian and member of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Live Bird Market Working Group, told BBC Science Focus that while PPE is strongly encouraged for workers, there is no legal requirement to enforce it.
"We warn them that these viruses can infect humans and advise them to wear masks and change clothes when visiting the markets," she said. "But ultimately, it’s a personal decision."
Jagne stressed that while the inconsistent use of PPE is a concern, New York’s live bird markets are now far better regulated than they were a few decades ago. Now, regulations govern the sourcing, handling and testing of birds.
"It used to be really bad," she said. "New York State has more markets than any other state. We had to take the lead, and that's exactly what we did — for many years, we hardly saw any influenza in these markets."
Today, source flocks must be tested 72 hours before birds enter the market, and additional sampling takes place on arrival. However, Jagne noted that even robust testing cannot eliminate the wider risk, as wild birds continue to spread the virus uncontrollably across the country.
Yet the large numbers of unprotected customers moving through these markets remain a weak point. "Maybe markets should provide masks at the entrance, like we had during COVID," Jagne suggested.
The live poultry markets featured in Heath’s footage either declined to comment or did not respond to requests from BBC Science Focus.
About our experts
Crystal Heath is a veterinarian focusing on shelter medicine, High Quality High Volume Spay Neuter (HQHVSN) and General Practice. She is also co-founder of Our Honor, a non-profit animal rights campaign group for animal professionals.
Edita Birnkrant is the executive director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, a 501c(4) non-profit animal rights organisation founded in 2008 on the core mission of saving NYC carriage horses, enacting animal rights legislation into law, and electing pro-animal candidates to office.
James McDonald MD, MPH, is the health commissioner for the New York State Department of Health. Before joining the New York State Department of Health in July of 2022, McDonald served at the Rhode Island Department of Health since 2012.
Jarra Jagne is a professor of practice in the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research has been published in scientific journals including The International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Avian Diseases and Avian Pathology.
Editor's note
This article is based on footage and information gathered during an independent investigation into live poultry market practices. All content has been reviewed to ensure it was lawfully obtained and meets editorial standards. Identifying details have been removed or obscured to protect privacy. The footage was captured in public. Individuals or businesses shown are not intended to be portrayed misleadingly, and all efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and fairness.
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