Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.

Use escape to exit the menu.

Hundreds of geese have reportedly died in New Jersey, and bird flu is suspected to be the culprit.

More than 1,100 dead or sick wild birds — almost all of them Canadian geese — were reported between Feb. 14 and Feb. 16 across seven counties, according to New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Although tests are still pending, officials say the deaths were likely caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu, which is a respiratory disease of birds caused by influenza A viruses.

POPULAR HONEYMOON DESTINATION FACES AVIAN MALARIA THREAT, SPREAD BY MOSQUITOES 

“I find the images of the dead and dying birds very troubling, unsettling, and a reminder that avian flu continues to be present,” David J. Cennimo, MD, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics and an infectious diseases specialist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told Fox News Digital.

“It is important to note that at the time of this writing, the cause of death has not been announced, and bird flu is only strongly suspected, but the picture is consistent with avian influenza, and there is a good reason for the high-level suspicion.”

Some local parks have temporarily closed out of an “abundance of caution,” including Betty Park and Alcyon Park in Gloucester County.

“Residents are asked not to approach any geese in or around the area,” the Borough of Pittman advised in a social media post.

COLORADO DECLARES DISASTER EMERGENCY AS PRESUMPTIVE BIRD FLU OUTBREAK HITS FACILITY WITH 1.3M CHICKENS

Common symptoms of HPAI among birds include diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, discharge from the nose and lack of coordination, according to DEP. Some birds, however, may die from the virus even if they never appear to be sick. 

While geese have made up the majority of the New Jersey fatalities, avian influenza also poses a risk to chickens, turkeys and ducks.

“We have seen cases of avian influenza in other animals, most notably dairy cows and cats,” Cennimo said. “If possible, domestic animals should be kept away from sick birds.”

Although the risk to the public is low, health officials recommend avoiding direct contact with wild birds or animals that could be infected.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

“Public awareness and precautionary measures are essential to mitigate the impact of bird flu on both agriculture and public health,” the DEP stated.

Avian influenza viruses continue to spread in wild bird populations, Cennimo said, and transmission can be amplified by close congregations of birds. This can happen during a period of freezing temperatures, when there is limited availability of water.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“The risk to humans remains low at this time,” the expert confirmed. “If the birds did die of influenza, they could still have live virus and could infect humans. For this reason, people should avoid handling sick or dead birds, use protective measures like gloves and wash their hands.”

“It’s sad from an ecological perspective, but it also poses a risk to any nearby agricultural facilities.”

Rebecca Carriere Christofferson, PhD, associate professor of pathobiological sciences at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, noted that mass bird deaths are a symptom of ongoing transmission of bird flu.

“It’s sad from an ecological perspective, but also poses a risk to any nearby agricultural facilities, as we’ve seen spillover into poultry and dairy cattle in the last couple of years,” she told Fox News Digital. “The more transmission, the more the chance for there to be transmission to humans.”

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Last year, there were some human deaths due to bird flu, primarily linked to contact with infected animals, Christofferson noted.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Surveillance is key to preventing uncontrolled spread, and understanding the patterns of where the virus is — and is going — can help mitigate the ongoing risk to our animal and human populations.”

Abstaining from food three hours before bedtime could benefit heart health, according to a recent study by Northwestern University.

Extending an overnight fast for two hours, dimming the lights and not eating for three hours prior to sleep were shown to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health.

The results were observed among middle-aged and older adults, who are at a higher risk for cardiometabolic disease, as stated in a university press release.

POPULAR INTERMITTENT FASTING DIETS MAY NOT DELIVER THE HEALTH BENEFITS MANY EXPECT

Time-restricted eating has recently surged in popularity due to its potential to improve heart health and aid in weight loss, the researchers noted.

“But most studies have focused on how long people fast, not how their fast lines up with their sleep schedule — a key factor in metabolic regulation,” the study authors wrote.

The nearly eight-week study, published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, examined 39 overweight and obese participants between 36 and 75 years old. The intervention group was made up of 80% women.

The participants completed either an extended overnight fasting intervention — 13 to 16 hours — or a “habitual fast” of 11 to 13 hours. Both groups dimmed the lights three hours before bedtime.

EXERCISE AFFECTS THE HEART IN A HIDDEN, POWERFUL WAY BY REWIRING NERVES, STUDY FINDS

People who finished eating at least three hours before going to bed saw “meaningful improvements” compared to participants who continued with their usual eating routines.

Those improvements included a 3.5% drop in blood pressure and a 5% drop in heart rate, as well as a “more natural drop” in both measures during sleep, which is “an important sign of cardiovascular health,” the researchers found.

The fasting participants’ hearts also beat faster during the day when they were active and slowed at night during rest — a pattern that’s linked to better heart health.

Those who abstained from eating also had better daytime blood sugar control, meaning the pancreas responded “more efficiently” when challenged with glucose, “suggesting it could release insulin more effectively and keep blood sugar steadier.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

First author Dr. Daniela Grimaldi, research associate professor of neurology in the division of sleep medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, commented on these findings in a statement.

“Timing our fasting window to work with the body’s natural wake-sleep rhythms can improve the coordination between the heart, metabolism and sleep, all of which work together to protect cardiovascular health,” she said.

Grimaldi noted that she and her fellow researchers were “genuinely excited” about the consistent improvements shown.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“Seeing that a relatively simple change in meal timing could simultaneously improve nighttime autonomic balance, blood pressure dipping, heart rate regulation and morning glucose metabolism, all without calorie restriction or weight loss, was remarkable,” she told Fox News Digital.

Grimaldi noted that the three-hour pre-sleep fasting window is “critical,” because that’s when melatonin rises and the body transitions toward sleep, “a period when eating disrupts metabolism.”

YOUR BEDROOM TEMPERATURE COULD BE PUTTING YOUR HEART IN SERIOUS DANGER, STUDY WARNS

Sleep expert Dr. Wendy Troxel, RAND Corporation senior behavioral specialist and a licensed clinical psychologist in Utah, emphasized the study’s high adherence rate, at nearly 90%.

“High rates of compliance suggest that this approach may be both feasible and sustainable in real life and could have a demonstrable impact on improving cardiometabolic health,” Troxel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

The findings add to growing research linking sleep and circadian rhythms to cardiovascular health, she added. “In fact, the American Heart Association now recognizes healthy sleep as one of its Life’s Essential 8 pillars for heart health.”

Limitations and future research

Looking ahead, the researchers plan to expand the study to larger, multi-center trials to determine whether the benefits persist or “translate into reduced cardiovascular events or diabetes.” 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Future studies could also explore the potential benefits of extending time-restricted eating.

“We also want to test this specifically in people with hypertension or diabetes, [who] might benefit most,” Grimaldi shared. “And exploring how this combines with other behavioral interventions, like exercise or morning light exposure, could help us develop more comprehensive strategies for cardiometabolic health.”

The high percentage of women poses a study limitation, as it limits the ability to draw “definitive conclusions” about gender differences, Grimaldi acknowledged.

“We need studies powered to examine sex differences,” she said. “Additionally, our 7.5-week intervention was long enough to show physiological changes, but not long enough to see effects on weight or long-term health outcomes.”

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Northwestern University reported that only 6.8% of adults in the U.S. had optimal cardiometabolic health from 2017 to 2018.

These conditions can lead to chronic illness, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Heart disease is the No. 1 global killer, according to the CDC.