In response, authorities moved quickly to seal off the site with RCIPS-enforced cordons and strict biosecurity measures, while teams carried out surveillance, sent samples for laboratory analysis, removed contaminated waste and soil, launched feral chicken control and targeted culling, and contacted affected farmers under public-health oversight to cut off possible routes of spread.

Officials say that all remaining poultry have been removed from the affected site, and carcasses are being handled and disposed of under strict public and animal health procedures.

A cross-government response led by Hazard Management Cayman Islands is underway and includes the Department of Agriculture, Public Health, the Department of Environment, the Department of Environmental Health, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the Cayman Islands Regiment.

The Department of Agriculture has depopulated animals within the affected area, expanded monitoring in surrounding zones and collected samples for testing, while special permission has been granted to cull feral birds both on site and within a wider observation perimeter.

On Sunday, 30 Nov., the Department of Environmental Health collected suspected carcasses as well as all remaining poultry on the Cemetery Road farm and destroyed them by incineration to prevent further contamination.

Agricultural teams carried out inspections across farms and nearby areas and investigated reports from the public as part of continued surveillance over the weekend.

So far, no additional infected sites have been identified.

As a precautionary measure, enhanced sanitisation points have also been set up in parts of West Bay, although officials have emphasised this does not mean the virus has been found there.

Disinfection of vehicles and footwear is taking place to minimise any risk of transmission and officials have said that strict biosecurity measures are now in place, including restricted access to farms and disinfection protocols for anyone entering controlled areas.

Members of the public are being asked to comply with instructions and expect possible delays when passing through these areas.

“Our government is treating this matter with the utmost seriousness,” said acting minister for Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure Nickolas DaCosta, urging farmers to monitor animals closely and report unexplained illnesses or deaths immediately.

The Department of Environment says it is actively monitoring birds for signs of the virus, with all agencies operating under heightened safety protocols. This includes the use of personal protective equipment and thorough disinfection.

“The health and safety of all Caymanians and our agricultural sector is our top priority,” said DaCosta.

Acting Director of the Department of Environmental Health Michael Haworth said that the licensing and inspection system monitors food “from source to consumption”.

“The Department of Environmental Health ensures that all foods that are deemed unfit for human consumption are condemned and destroyed,” said Haworth. “As one of the leading agencies in the area of food safety, DEH officers across the islands are tasked with this disposal process to ensure they do not re-enter the food chain.”

Human infection

As of 30 Nov., there were no confirmed cases of bird flu in humans in the Cayman Islands. However, public health officials warned that symptoms in people can appear two to 14 days after exposure and may include fever, cough, sore throat, breathing difficulties and eye irritation.

Director of Agriculture Wilbur Welcome called on farmers and the public to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and to report anything unusual to the Department of Agriculture or the Public Health Department.

Over the past three years, avian flu has driven the largest animal-health crisis the Americas have seen in decades, affecting over 150 million poultry across the United States, pushing up egg and poultry prices and disrupting food supply chains.

More recently, the virus has passed on to new species, including dairy cattle in the United States, raising public-health concern after a handful of human infections were reported among farm workers in the US, even as authorities maintain the overall risk to the public remains low.

Since 2024, there have been 71 human cases of avian flu in the US, and two reported deaths.

Earlier this year, the Cayman Islands government weighed a large-scale feral chicken cull following outbreaks of avian flu in Puerto Rico.

In June 2024, import controls were tightened on unpasteurised dairy products after detections in US cattle. In early 2023, a suspected local outbreak ultimately proved negative after confirmatory testing in the US, though not before birds were culled and farms quarantined as a precaution.