On Friday, the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society told Gothamist that three ducks at the Queens Zoo had died from the bird flu, while another dozen birds at the Bronx Zoo that may have been exposed to the virus were also found dead. The news came on the heels of Governor Kathy Hochul announcing an order to temporarily close live poultry markets in the city and nearby suburbs for several days, after seven cases of the disease were discovered in poultry at storefronts in the outer boroughs. And late last month, the future of Long Island’s last commercial duck farm in Aquebogue suddenly was up in the air after some of its flock was infected with the virus, forcing employees to euthanize all 100,000-plus waterfowl on site.
These outbreaks come just weeks after the first person died from the disease in the United States.
With COVID killing 1.2 million people nationwide in five years, it's fair to wonder whether we're on the fast-track for another life-altering pandemic. Are we about to spend the next three years dodging pigeons and sitting in Zoom calls? Or will this all boil down to paying an extra 50 cents for a bacon, egg, and cheese?