Plymouth, Massachusetts, officials alerted the public on Sunday that more than 60 birds found dead at Billington Sea are suspected to have died of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu.

On Sunday morning, members of the Clean Harbor waste management who were contracted by the state Department of Environmental Protection, as well as state officials, responded to Billington Sea to remove numerous geese, swans and other dead wildlife from the pond.

The day before, the state ornithologist told town officials that a dead goose removed from Plymouth was “highly suspected” of having avian influenza, or bird flu.

Since there is only one lab in the U.S. that can officially confirm a positive bird flu case, it could take up to a week for a definitive answer, officials said.

AS BIRD FLU SPREADS, CDC RECOMMENDS FASTER ‘SUBTYPING’ TO CATCH MORE CASES

Still, state officials say they will begin testing the removed birds from Billington Sea to determine their official cause of death.

State and local officials advised the public to avoid contact with sick or dead wild birds and other animals that could be infected with avian influenza viruses, and to wear protective equipment if handling wild animals cannot be avoided.

Those who raise poultry should also take precautions as bird flu can spread through direct contact between birds.

LOUISIANA REPORTS FIRST BIRD FLU-RELATED HUMAN DEATH IN US

A pair of influenza A (H5N1) virions, a type of bird flu virus (Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz/CDC via AP/File)

“Poultry owners should keep their birds away from wild waterfowl, limit the number of people that have access to your flock, and if you share equipment with other bird owners, clean and disinfect between locations,” Plymouth Public Health Director Karen Keane said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says handling infected birds is unlikely to lead to illness in people. However, there have been 67 human cases of bird flu since 2022, with 66 of those cases happening in 2024.

ONE STATE LEADS COUNTRY IN HUMAN BIRD FLU WITH NEARLY 40 CONFIRMED CASES

In fact, safety precautions continue to ramp up as cases of bird flu continue to surface across the U.S.

On Thursday, the CDC announced its recommendation to test hospitalized influenza A patients more quickly and thoroughly to distinguish between seasonal flu and bird flu.

The accelerated “subtyping” of flu A in hospitalized patients is in response to “sporadic human infections” of avian flu, the CDC wrote in a press release.

The goal is to prevent delays in identifying bird flu infections and promote better patient care, “timely infection control” and case investigation, the agency stated.

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These delays are more likely to happen during the flu season due to high patient volumes, according to the CDC.

Fox News Digital’s Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.

Massachusetts lawyer busted for trying to bribe Medford police chief for pot shop wins part of appeal to toss convictions

Originally Published: January 19, 2025 at 5:36 PM EST

A winter storm is expected to reach Massachusetts Sunday afternoon and dump up to 8 inches of snow in most of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm is predicted to spread across the region between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., according to the weather service. The heaviest snow — which could fall as rapidly as 1 to 2 inches per hour — is expected to come down between 8 p.m. and midnight.

Most of Massachusetts is predicted to receive 6 to 8 inches of snow during the storm, but a select few communities may see 8 to 10 inches, according to the weather service. The bottom half of Norfolk County and the top halves of Bristol and Plymouth Counties are expected to get 4 to 6 inches of snow. The South Coast and inner Cape are predicted to get 2 to 4 inches, and the outer Cape and Islands are expected to get less than an inch to 2 inches.

Winter storm warnings have been issued for most of Massachusetts and will be in effect from 1 p.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday. Travel is expected to be very difficult during this time, according to the weather service. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

The snow is predicted to taper off by 3 a.m., prior to the morning commute, according to the weather service. But untreated roads will remain snow-covered and slippery, and temperatures are expected to be well below freezing.

Highs on Sunday are predicted to reach the upper 30s and low 40s in most of Massachusetts and dip into the mid to lower teens overnight, according to the weather service. Highs on Martin Luther King Jr. Day are expected to reach the low to mid-20s amid mostly sunny skies in the morning.

There is a slight chance of snow in the afternoon and evening on Monday, between noon and 8 p.m., according to the weather service. The next two days are predicted to be sunny and cold, with highs in the mid-teens during the day and overnight lows in the single digits.