N.J. zoo temporarily closes aviary to shield animals from hen flu
Officers on Thursday said the Cape May perhaps County Zoo “World of Birds” Aviary is briefly closed to the general public as a precaution to shield the zoo’s fowl inhabitants from highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The announcement came as federal officials explained a scenario of the virus was detected in a non-commercial yard flock of birds in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, among the at the very least a dozen other circumstances reported all around the place.
In Cape May well County, officials mentioned no instances of the influenza have been detected at the zoo.
“HPAI is a highly transmissible influenza virus that can have an effect on many different species of birds. It is commonly drop in the feces of migratory waterfowl, so infection is doable wherever that waterfowl are common,” Dr. Alexander Ernst, associate veterinarian at the zoo, said in a statement.
“Because Cape May well County is regarded as these types of an vital migratory route for waterfowl, and the zoo holds several threatened and endangered birds, we are getting some methods to mitigate the risk of infection,” Ernst stated.
The measures contain the aviary closure, quarantining high-possibility species and applying own PPE developed to lessen contamination to the fowl habitats, in accordance to county officials.
“HPAI does not current an rapid general public overall health concern. There have been no instances of avian influenza in people detected in the US,” officials said in the statement.
Ernst inspired people with birds as pets or who have backyard poultry flocks to remain updated about this epidemic and contemplate methods to decrease hazards to their birds.
The Cape Might County Zoo remained open to the community, except the aviary.
“Our veterinarians and zoo staff members will continue to be vigilant all through this time to ensure the safety and very well-remaining of our birds,” mentioned Cape May possibly County Commissioner E. Marie Hayes, the county fee liaison to the zoo.
Whilst the virus poses tiny possibility to people, the illness can acquire a toll on the poultry sector. An outbreak in 2015 killed 50 million birds in 15 states, costing the federal governing administration virtually $1 billion, in accordance to the Involved Press.
Chicken flu scenarios this 12 months have been noted in New York, Maine, Delaware and Virginia amongst other states, U.S. United States Section of Agriculture Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Support documents present.
The Linked Press contributed to this report.
Noah Cohen may well be arrived at at [email protected].
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