Berkshire County — In response to increasing concern in the Commonwealth over the proliferation of the avian influenza (H5N1), or bird flu, State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District) filed a bill, HD 2234, on January 15 that would establish a special 15-member commission to study mitigating the risks of the disease. The measure would serve as an emergency law “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health.” The group’s focus would include researching H5N1 as well as developing programs to detect and track outbreaks, recommending policies for farms and guidelines for wildlife management, as well as providing emergency response plans.
A copy of HD 2234 can be found here.
On March 21, the Tri-Town Health Department publicly stated its support for the measure in letters sent to Commonwealth leaders—Sen. William Driscoll Jr. (D – 7th Norfolk District), Rep. Marjorie C. Decker (D – 25th Middlesex District), and Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health research analyst Ramla Hagi. Those correspondences were signed by Medical Director Charles Kenny, M.D., and Executive Director James J. Wilusz, R.S.
Established in 1929, Tri-Town Health is the oldest combined health department in the state and represents the Lee, Lenox, and Stockbridge boards of health.
“Potentially emergent zoonotic diseases, such as H5N1, require special coordination of preparedness among health care departments, dairy and poultry farms, bird sanctuaries and conservation groups, among others, especially in rural settings,” the letter states.
A copy of the letters can be found here.
H5N1 was first detected in January 2022 and affects wild birds, commercial poultry, and backyard flocks. In March 2024, the disease was found in dairy cows on a Texas farm.
According to the Center for Disease Control, as of March 21, 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that one flock of 260 non-poultry birds in Berkshire County has been affected with the avian influenza also detected in Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Middlesex, and Plymouth counties.
“While we are not sounding the alarm, people need to keep an eye on how things are developing, research accurate and reputable information, educate themselves on universal precautions and ask questions,” Wilusz stated in an email response to The Berkshire Edge.
