2 bird flu cases confirmed in US zoos as virus spreads

Two cases of bird flu have been confirmed in U.S. zoos, but authorities stated they wont order widespread euthanasia of zoo birds the way they have on farmsBy JOSH FUNK Associated PressApril 14, 2022, 7:33 PM – 2 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleOMAHA, Neb.– Two cases of bird influenza have been confirmed in U.S. zoos, but officials said they will not buy prevalent euthanasia of zoo birds the method they have on farms.U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson Mike Stepien declined to launch any information about the zoo cases Thursday, consisting of which 2 zoos were involved.Many zoos across the country have closed down their aviaries and moved birds inside whenever possible to assist secure them from avian influenza that officials think is mainly being spread out by the droppings of wild birds.At numerous zoos, penguins may be the only birds visitors can see since they are normally kept inside behind glass where they are protected from the virus.Nearly 27 million turkeys and chickens have been butchered in 26 states to limit the spread of bird flu during this years break out. Officials order whole flocks to be eliminated when the infection is found on farms.Stepien stated zoos work with state veterinary authorities when the virus is discovered, but unlike farms, zoos are normally enabled to separate and treat an infected bird as long as they take precautions to safeguard the other birds in their collections.Health officials highlight that bird flu does not jeopardize food safety because contaminated birds arent enabled into the food supply and effectively cooking meat and eggs to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill any infections. The disease likewise doesnt represent any immediate public health risk, and no human cases have actually been discovered in America.This years outbreak is the worst one considering that 2015 when roughly 50 million chickens and turkeys were butchered because of the infection. Stepien said that there were really couple of bird flu cases in captive wild birds in 2015 and none in big zoos, and no wild birds at zoos were euthanized that year.