The Galveston County Health District (GCHD) reportedconfirmed casesof Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu, in local birds.
To prevent the further spread of the disease, health officials advised the public to avoid contact with sick or dead birds. Officials also asked those who own outdoor cats that hunt or scavenge birds to stay cautious.
Galveston County local health authority Dr. Philip Keiser said that on Nov. 24, GCHD received a report about four dead ducks in Dickinson that had been handled by several people who lived next to the water in the area.
"We went and picked them up and there was a fifth duck that was acting bizarrely like it had neurologic symptoms,"Keiser said. Neurologic symptoms can be a sign of Avian Influenza.
In a Dec. 1 news release,GCHD said a total of 27 birds had died across the county. Of the 27, six birds were sent to the University of Texas Medical Branch for further diagnostic testing and confirmation.
Keiser said that as of Tuesday morning, four of the birds were confirmed to have tested positive for Avian Influenza. As of Tuesday afternoon, GCHD was still waiting on the results of the other two birds sent for testing.
GCHD said 10 individuals had direct contact with infected birds. All of those individuals have been evaluated, and those experiencing any symptoms were tested. According to the release, the results returned negative for Influenza, however, out of an abundance of caution, eight individuals are currently taking Tamiflu, a medication used to prevent and treat infections caused by the flu virus.
According to GCHD, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and the risk to the general public is low; however, health officials advised the public to stay cautious.
"This particular type of Avian flu has been known to cause very serious disease in human beings when it actually has gotten through that process," Keiser said.
Keiser said there has been a rise in Avian Influenza in the last two years. The CDC reported71 cases and two deaths in humans since 2024.
"What we want to do is we want to make people aware," Keiser said.
GCHD asked the public to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and to report unusual bird deaths to theGalveston County Animal Resource Center.
Keiser said unusual bird activity could include a bird aimlessly stumbling, not being afraid of people and staying in places where birds normally wouldn't.
"If you can walk up to a wild animal and approach it, you probably shouldn’t do it and that’s because the animal is probably sick," Keiser said.
Since Avian Influenza can infect some mammals that come into contact with sick ordead birds, GCHD said outdoor cats that hunt or scavenge birds may be at higher risk of exposure. According to GCHD, cat owners should watch for the following symptoms in their pets:
- Sudden or unusual lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
- Eye or nasal discharge
- Neurologic symptoms such as stumbling, tremors or disorientation
- Sudden death
GCHD said any cat showing these symptoms, especially if it may have been exposed to wild birds, should be evaluated by a veterinarian immediately. Health officials said indoor cats are considered to be at low risk.
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