Parts of the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area have been closed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission due to the ongoing spread of avian influenza, sometimes known as bird flu.
According to a post on the Middle Creek Wildlife Area’s Facebook page, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is limiting public access to certain areas of the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area as of Tuesday, February 4, 2025, due to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that is currently affecting many parts of the state.
The commission, which is in charge of overseeing the Middle Creek area, recently warned guests about the need to take precautions against infection.
Travis Lau, a spokesman for the game commission at the time, stated that they will keep an eye on the issue and adjust their approach as needed in an effort to stop the spread of the disease from bird to human.
The following locations are impacted by the closures:
The notice stated that Wildlife Drive is still seasonally closed and that longer closures might occur. All events will proceed as planned, and hiking trails and the Visitor Center will stay open during regular business hours.
Those who keep chickens or are associated with commercial poultry facilities are severely discouraged from visiting, and visitors are asked to stay in their cars and see wildlife from the roads.
Every year, tens of thousands of migratory geese stop at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.
As the state’s avian flu death toll started to grow, state health and game agencies started to take preventative measures. Recently, an illness case was discovered at a Lehigh County chicken farm.
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