Brockton park closes due to potential bird flu outbreak

D.W. Field Park in Brockton and Avon closed Friday after officials warned of a potential avian flu outbreak.

The indefinite closure came less than a week after more than 60 Canada geese, swans, and ducks were found dead at Billington Sea pond in Plymouth.

Several dead swans and Canada geese were found on Upper Porter Pond in D.W. Field Park earlier in the week, park officials said Thursday on Facebook. The parks department at D.W. Field filed reports through state animal control services and with the MassWildlife Department of Fish and Game, the post said.

The Brockton Emergency Management Agency then announced on Friday that the park would be closed, citing “an abundance of caution due to wildlife issues.”

The park will remain closed until city and state officials investigate the cause of death for the found swans and geese, according to a follow-up Facebook post from the park.

Officials warned the public not to touch any injured or dead birds to minimize the risk of spreading avian flu. They also instructed guests not to feed any geese or ducks until the situation is resolved.

Avian flu, formally known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, rarely affects humans. However, prolonged exposure to sick or dead birds can put people at a higher risk of infection, according to a MassWildlife press release regarding the outbreak at Billington Sea Pond.

Both wild and domesticated birds can be infected with avian flu without showing symptoms, and wild mammals such as foxes can also become infected, MassWildlife officials said.

Officials have urged the public to report any observations of dead wild birds to the MassWildlife Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and sickness or death in domestic poultry to the Department of Agricultural Resources.