PHILADELPHIA — A snow goose in Philadelphia’s Carroll Park neighborhood is the city’s first suspected case of a highly contagious avian flu spreading among birds and cattle across the country, Philadelphia health officials said Wednesday.

The goose was found on Jan. 11 on the 1200 block of North 59th Street, officials said in a news release, and preliminary testing from state agriculture officials indicated the bird had avian flu.

A person in the neighborhood had noticed a goose behaving oddly, with “unusual neurological symptoms,” and notified animal health authorities, said Dana Perella, a manager for the city health department’s Acute Communicable Disease Program.

Neurological symptoms of avian flu, a strain of the H5N1 virus, include dizziness or unstable walking. The goose was assessed, immediately euthanized, and sent to the state Game Commission for testing, Perella said.

“The potential for transmission is very low to residents of the city,” Perella said. The biggest concern is those having close contacts with ill animals.”

Avian flu cases in humans

More than 60 people have tested positive for avian flu nationwide, and one has died, Philadelphia health officials noted.

There have been no cases reported in humans in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but last month, Delaware reported a probable case of H5N1 in a person that could not be confirmed by further federal testing. That person has since recovered, Laura Matusheski, a spokesperson for Delaware’s health department, wrote in an email.

The vast majority of cases among humans in the United States were among people who had direct contact with an infected animal.

In the case in Delaware, it was unclear how the patient had become exposed to avian flu. Just three of the 67 confirmed cases in the United States have unknown sources of exposure, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Officials said that anyone in Carroll Park who had direct contact with a sick goose around Jan. 11 should call the city health department’s Division of Disease Control at 215-685-6741.

In general, Philadelphians should stay away from wild birds, especially waterfowl like geese and ducks, and report any sick or dead birds to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Residents can call 833-PGC-HUNT, send an email to pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov, or report the bird through the state’s online Wildlife Health Survey.

The nationwide spread of avian flu

Nationwide, the spread of avian flu in livestock since 2022 has prompted states including Pennsylvania to ramp up testing and quarantine efforts. Pennsylvania had a high number of cases in domestic flocks earlier in the outbreak, but has so far seen no cases of bird flu in cattle.

About 200 snow geese were found dead in Lehigh and Northampton Counties earlier this month, and health officials said that preliminary testing by the state had confirmed avian flu.

The H5N1 virus binds poorly to human respiratory cells, which means it is not able to easily spread from one person to another. The virus could become a bigger threat to humans if it mutates and becomes better able to latch on to receptors in the respiratory system.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have helped to track the virus through a testing program for livestock, and others are developing an mRNA vaccine for avian flu that was in clinical trials late last year.

The city is also looking to step up testing efforts in humans. Earlier this month, the CDC recommended that hospitals test for H5N1 in respiratory samples from patients who are positive for influenza A, but negative for seasonal flu subtypes typically found in humans.

“We are working on the feasibility of doing that with our local institutions,” Perella said.

Protecting domestic birds in the city

Anyone who keeps chickens in the city should also monitor the birds for illness.

According to the city health department’s website, avian flu symptoms include sudden death without any prior illness; a lack of energy or appetite; decreased egg production; swelling or discoloration of a bird’s eyelids, comb, wattle, and shanks; gasping; coughing or sneezing; stumbling or falling; and diarrhea.

Residents can also prevent the spread of bird flu from wild to domestic birds by keeping food and water away from wild birds, and changing clothes and shoes after caring for birds and before entering their homes.

Residents who believe their backyard chickens may be ill should call the state Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services, which runs a 24-hour hotline at 717-772-2852, option 1.

While birds can shed the virus in feces, mucus, and saliva, health officials are more concerned about people who have more prolonged interactions with birds.

“The concern is more so if you had a backyard flock and were cleaning up after them than if you accidentally touch bird poop,” Perella said. “The cases we’ve seen among humans most often had more direct exposures to impacted animals.”

Public health officials have also cautioned against drinking raw, unpasteurized milk because it can contain the virus. The high-heat pasteurization process deactivates the virus.

Residents should avoid cheese made with raw milk as well, the city health department said, and cook poultry, eggs, and other animal products to safe internal temperatures to kill the virus. They also advise handwashing with soap and water after handling raw meat and uncooked eggs.

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(Staff writer Sarah Gantz contributed to this article.)

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