Overview

• Crescent Duck Farm, Long Island's last commercial duck farm, is euthanizing its entire flock of 99,000 ducks after confirming an H5N1 bird flu outbreak.
• The farm's owner, Doug Corwin, described the outbreak as the worst disaster in the farm's history, leading to the layoff of 47 of its 75 workers.
• Health officials report minimal risk to public health, as the virus is not currently transmissible between humans, though safety protocols are in place for exposed workers.
• Crescent Duck Farm, operating since 1908, faces uncertainty about its future, with efforts underway to preserve its duck genetics through quarantined eggs.
• The outbreak reflects a broader bird flu crisis in the U.S., which has impacted over 136 million poultry since 2022 and contributed to rising food costs.