PITTSBURGH — A resurgence of the avian bird flu recently killed an estimated 5,000 snow geese in Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza is impacting more wild birds in other parts of the state. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is urging the public to report sick and dead birds, said Travis Lau, the Commission’s press secretary.

Since 2022, the bird flu has sickened or killed wild birds, domestic poultry and some mammals. The nation’s first human death from avian influenza-involved exposure to backyard poultry occurred earlier this month in Louisiana. The highly contagious virus continues to ravage commercial poultry and stoke egg prices.

Although the Lehigh Valley has been the epicenter of the bird flu in wild birds, with deaths in the hundreds — and most recently in the thousands — there have been reports of bird flu in other birds throughout the state, Lau said last Wednesday.

The bird flu has not been recently detected in wild birds in Allegheny County, Lau said. However, a Canada goose found dead in Allison Park in early October 2022 that tested positive, he said.

The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania has been monitoring the spread of the bird flu and hasn’t seen any signs of it in the Pittsburgh area recently, said Rachel Handel, spokesperson for the nonprofit headquartered at Beechwood Farms in Fox Chapel.

Four dead Canada geese in Blair County tested positive in preliminary tests this year. The Game Commission is testing some Canada geese collected last week in Gettysburg that likely died of the bird flu, Lau said.

Since December, the commission has detected the flu in other wildlife, including bald eagles, red-shouldered hawks, American crows, great-horned owls, turkey vultures and a red fox. Previously, the flu has also killed ducks, turkeys, grouse, gulls and ravens.

A snowy owl in Erie County died from the bird flu in December. Philadelphia officials reported its first case of the avian flu in a single snow goose last week.

“We don’t think it’s an issue exclusive to eastern Pennsylvania,” Lau said.

While media attention has focused on snow goose deaths in eastern Pennsylvania, lesser populated areas could have mortalities that have gone unnoticed, he said.

The commission is asking the public to report sick and dead birds; they should not handle those birds.

Avian influenza outbreaks usually occur with a large number of birds sick or dead at the same place and time, according to the commission.

The Game Commission visited a site in Northampton and announced on Jan. 2 that it found hundreds of dead geese.

“We went in there to shoot critically ill geese Monday last week and do cleanup — there were a whole bunch more dead geese,” Lau said on last Wednesday.

He estimated there were about 5,000 dead geese at that site alone. “That increased mortality at that one site was incoming birds — whether they were infected when coming in or were exposed when there.”

In southwestern Pennsylvania, snow geese are rare, as their migration route is close to the Atlantic coast, said Pilar Fish, senior director of zoological advancement and avian medicine at the National Aviary.

“Any snow geese that are found in the area have not likely come in contact with the migratory snow geese that have been heavily impacted by HPAI,” she said.

The risk for the public to come in contact with at-risk birds in the wild is low, she said.

“However, the public should adhere to the same guidelines and protocols as normal: It is strongly recommended to never feed, touch or come into close contact with geese, ducks and other waterfowl one may find at their neighborhood park.”

People need not take down their bird feeders because of the bird flu. However, they should keep them clean, Handel said.

Bird flu generally spreads where large flocks congregate, not typically in backyards, she said.

Audubon suggests washing feeders weekly with hot, soapy water to prevent illness-causing bacteria. Residents should then soak feeders for 20 minutes in one part bleach to 10 parts water, then rinse well and air dry.

Hunters should follow routine precautions when hunting and handling birds. The Game Commission warns hunters not to harvest or handle wild birds that appear sick or are found dead.

Report sick or dead wild birds to the Game Commission by calling 1-833-742-9453.