High alert after bird flu case reports in Joburg parks
THE City of Joburg is on full alert and monitoring its valuable bird collection for avian influenza which has struck Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) facilities.
So serious is the epidemic that, under normal situations, the way of controlling such notifiable diseases would have been to cull all birds within a certain radius.
However, given the fact that the zoo houses endangered, threatened and at-risk species, the state veterinarian agreed to find other measures to control the spread of the disease, which include vaccinations.
The flu has been identified as the “highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPA1)” virus.
A female blue crane died at the zoo on August 28. Postmortem results showed that the bird had died of avian flu, according to a JCPZ source.
The state vet, who visited the zoo on September 5, inspected the enclosures to assess the risks. He ordered that all birds in direct contact with the dead bird be put down immediately.
This comprised a male blue crane and four Marabou storks – a male and three females – in the adjacent enclosure.
The zoo announced on Wednesday that almost 550 carcasses had been recovered from the Westdene and Emmarentia dams, the Zoo Lake and and the Joburg Zoo.
Residents have also been asked to monitor domestic and feral birds living in close proximity to the zoo.
City Parks spokesperson Jenny Moodley said the HPA1 virus was not contagious to humans, but sick birds and carcasses should not be directly handled as a precautionary measure and zoo officials should be called to assist.
Avian influenza, which was first detected in Limpopo, had been spread by the seasonal migration of birds, added Moodley. All the dead birds were being incinerated at the zoo and were being handled according to strict health and safety regulations, she said.
The Joburg Zoo has also posted signs alerting visitors of the outbreak and requesting them to use the sterilising foot baths at the entrances and exits of the zoo, and to report all instances of birds which were sick.
Sick birds would look lethargic or have ruffled feathers.
“We are concerned about our birds, especially the valuable and endangered species, but we are vaccinating as widely as possible.
“Many of our bird species are safe as they are under cover but we are concerned about, and monitoring, the free-roaming ones,” Moodley said. The zoo had a special team on standby to recover carcasses.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said that it could not comment on the latest outbreak as the virus did not affect humans.