As avian flu hits bird population, Philadelphia Zoo prepares and puts birds into quarantine

The Philadelphia Zoo has joined zoos across the country that are protecting their birds from the deadly avian influenza that has itself become a widespread outbreak.

In response to the flu that has already caused the deaths of millions of birds across the country, the Philadelphia Zoo has quarantined its birds. “Everything from the emus to the bald eagles, the penguins, the flamingos, they are all being housed indoors right now,” Rachel Metz, vice president of animal well-being at the Philadelphia Zoo, said.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is caused by a virus that’s related to but not the same as the seasonal flu in people, said Metz. The H5N1 strain from Eurasia, known as H5, is the dominant strain that is currently proliferating among birds, particularly poultry.

Birds shed the virus through their droppings and nasal discharge. Experts say it can be spread through contaminated equipment, clothing, boots, and vehicles carrying supplies. Research has shown that small birds that squeeze into zoo exhibits or buildings can also spread the flu and that mice can even track it inside.

Birds that live in zoos are susceptible to virus particles tracked in by visitors.

“Unfortunately people can unwittingly spread the disease on the bottoms of their shoes or on tires of their vehicles simply by walking or driving through bird fecal material,” said Metz. “Obviously we have a lot of wild birds flying overhead, it’s spring migration. So that has a big impact on the spread of this virus.”

» READ MORE: Avian flu virus kills bald eagle in Chester County, putting Pa. wildlife authorities on alert

Nearly 23 million chickens and turkeys have already been euthanized across the United States to limit the spread of the virus, and zoos like the Philadelphia Zoo are doing whatever they can to prevent the same thing from happening. Many zoos are concerned that they would have to kill some of the endangered species if infected.

When bird flu cases are found in poultry, officials order the entire flock to be killed because the virus is so contagious. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has indicated that zoos might be able to avoid that by isolating infected birds and possibly euthanizing a small number of them.

Among the precautions zoos are taking is keeping birds in smaller groups so that if a case is found, only a few would be affected. The USDA and state veterinarians would make the final decision about which birds had to be killed.

Symptoms of infection in birds include:

Officials emphasize that bird flu doesn’t jeopardize the safety of meat or eggs or represent a significant risk to human health. No infected birds are allowed into the food supply, and properly cooking poultry and eggs kills bacteria and viruses. No human cases have been found in the United States, according to the CDC.

While none of the birds at the Philadelphia Zoo have been infected as of Wednesday afternoon, the zoo is in the highest state of alert and has activated biosecurity protocols in the wake of recent reports of birds in Pennsylvania dying from the virus, said Metz.

Biosecurity measures at the zoo include disinfecting shoes when people walk into the bird areas and zookeepers wearing masks, gloves, and face shields while working with the birds, similar to COVID-19 safety precautions.

The biggest measure the zoo has taken is moving all birds indoors, Metz said. Any birds that lived in semi-open habitats are now indoors and visitors will not be able to see them until the flu outbreak dies down. All the zoo’s birds were tested prior to being quarantined.

“So it’s not something that we’re excited to do because we’re moving into our busy season and spring break is upon us and we really want to share these animals with our visitors. But we also had to weigh the health and security of our birds against that,” said Metz.

The rest of the zoo is open to the public, with visitors encouraged to see the rest of the animals, including lions, tigers, great apes, rhinos, and giraffes.

“People can still come and enjoy the zoo even though the birds are inside,” said Metz.