As feared, the town’s presumed outbreak of avian flu is no longer contained to Billington Sea.
The H5N1 virus that is likely infecting birds in Plymouth has spread from the 269-acre freshwater pond to Spooner Pond near Cordage Park on Route 3A in North Plymouth, and to Long Beach, according to town officials.
On Friday, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife staffers picked up an unspecified number of dead birds at Spooner Pond (known by some as Store Pond), said Karen Keane, the town’s director of public health.
While state officials have described the Plymouth situation as the largest such outbreak in Massachusetts since the virus was first detected in the winter of 2021-2022, dead birds are increasingly being found in other communities, including Pembroke.
After MassWildlife staff finished its collection process near Cordage, Keane said, they headed to Pembroke to retrieve more dead birds for testing.
“So many different municipalities are dealing with this,” she said.
The town also received calls about deceased birds on Long Beach. Local animal control officers went there Friday to collect any birds they could safely reach from the shore. Keane did not say how many they found.
“It’s not surprising that we’re seeing them in different areas, because it’s a disease that travels,” she said. “If the bird travels from point A to point B, whoever it is he sees at point B could become infected, if he’s an infected bird.”
The risk of infection, however, is not limited to birds. Keane said animal control officers saw several dogs running off leash on Long Beach Friday in the vicinity of the bird carcasses.
“I have to stress how important it is for people to understand this is a serious situation, and their domestic animals can get sick,” she said.
Once again, she urged pet owners to keep their cats indoors and their dogs leashed.
Last week, 30 chickens kept in a yard not far from Billington Sea were euthanized in an attempt to keep the virus in check, said Ashley Randle, the state’s commissioner of agricultural resources.
MassWildlife says that if people observe five or more dead wild birds at one location, they should report it on this site.
The town continues to urge people to report dead animals on their property, whether domestic or wild, to the Public Health Division at 508-322-3339, and to the animal control officer at 508-888-1186.
It is rare for humans to be infected by the virus, but some people who work with chickens and cows have contracted mild cases. One person who worked with a domestic flock of birds in Louisiana died.
Fred Thys can be reached at fred@plymouthindependent.org.