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Avian bird flu surges in New York urban wildlife, increasing disease concerns
Cate Twining-Ward
7 Apr 2026
...
The wet market problem
Migration, crowding and cold weather aren’t the only amplifiers of avian flu in New York. Live animal and poultry markets also appear to be key culprits. (The working theory is that H5N1 turned pathogenic on crowded poultry farms, then spread widely via migratory birds.)
“For many infectious diseases, especially those with density-dependent transmission like influenza, density is the biggest risk factor,” a senior disease ecologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on background. “In the context of a wet market, it’s the combination of high density and high diversity of bird species together, which creates countless opportunities for viral strains to emerge.”
Wet markets sell perishable foods including raw meat and, in some cases, live animals, which may be slaughtered on-site. Though often imagined as exotic or exclusive to the Asian continent, wet markets exist across the globe. What makes a market “wet” is not geography or species, but water: floors routinely hosed down to rinse away the blood and residue of slaughter.
There are wet markets in every New York City borough — more than 80 in total. Most slaughter and sell birds, including chickens, ducks, pigeons, fowl and quail. Roughly a quarter also offer mammals, such as rabbits, goats, sheep and cows. Many are located within just a block of elementary schools, residential buildings and public parks, creating opportunities for viral spillover.
For more than a decade, live bird markets in New York City have experienced avian influenza outbreaks. Most recently, in February 2025, a series of H5N1 detections across the city prompted Governor Kathy Hochul to temporarily shut down all live bird markets for “depopulation” and disinfection.
But even that sweeping intervention failed to stop the problem. In the year since, official reports of bird flu from these facilities have continued to rise, as have cases in wild birds and an increasing number of wild mammals.
...
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a...k-urban-wildlife-increasing-disease-concerns/
Avian bird flu surges in New York urban wildlife, increasing disease concerns
Cate Twining-Ward
7 Apr 2026
...
The wet market problem
Migration, crowding and cold weather aren’t the only amplifiers of avian flu in New York. Live animal and poultry markets also appear to be key culprits. (The working theory is that H5N1 turned pathogenic on crowded poultry farms, then spread widely via migratory birds.)
“For many infectious diseases, especially those with density-dependent transmission like influenza, density is the biggest risk factor,” a senior disease ecologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on background. “In the context of a wet market, it’s the combination of high density and high diversity of bird species together, which creates countless opportunities for viral strains to emerge.”
Wet markets sell perishable foods including raw meat and, in some cases, live animals, which may be slaughtered on-site. Though often imagined as exotic or exclusive to the Asian continent, wet markets exist across the globe. What makes a market “wet” is not geography or species, but water: floors routinely hosed down to rinse away the blood and residue of slaughter.
There are wet markets in every New York City borough — more than 80 in total. Most slaughter and sell birds, including chickens, ducks, pigeons, fowl and quail. Roughly a quarter also offer mammals, such as rabbits, goats, sheep and cows. Many are located within just a block of elementary schools, residential buildings and public parks, creating opportunities for viral spillover.
For more than a decade, live bird markets in New York City have experienced avian influenza outbreaks. Most recently, in February 2025, a series of H5N1 detections across the city prompted Governor Kathy Hochul to temporarily shut down all live bird markets for “depopulation” and disinfection.
But even that sweeping intervention failed to stop the problem. In the year since, official reports of bird flu from these facilities have continued to rise, as have cases in wild birds and an increasing number of wild mammals.
...
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/a...k-urban-wildlife-increasing-disease-concerns/