Bird Flu Closures in the US

Fresno Chaffee Zoo- All walk-through aviaries closed, exhibit birds pulled off exhibit with exception of the tropical bird house. Bird show is still happening but only birds will be on the hand and no flying.
 
Milwaukee County Zoo - All remaining restrictions removed (aviary has re-opened, penguins are back on-exhibit)
 
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Julio C Castro said:
I just began reading about all of this in the past few days and speaking from the vet field aspect, this sounds detrimental for many collections. I haven’t read of cases being in California yet but if I find out through my job, I’ll let you all know anything I know. We don’t deal with birds often but my clinic is kept up to date regarding cases like these due to being a rescue clinic. It looks like culling is the recommended step for infected flocks and my home zoos have a great amount of endangered bird species, this truly concerns me.
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With Sacramento, Micke Grove, Happy Hollows, and Fresno Chaffee taking precautions to move their birds off exhibit, I visited the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website about what's going on. Here's what they reported and found:

"Wildlife disease specialists have confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Eurasian H5N1 Avian Influenza in three wild birds found in Colusa and Glenn counties."

"The birds were collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on July 5 during a mortality event at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex and submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center for preliminary testing. On July 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the detection of avian influenza H5N1 in two Canada geese and one American white pelican and notified the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Wildlife Health Laboratory."

"These are the first detections of avian influenza H5N1 in wild birds in California. Although avian influenza viruses naturally circulate among waterbirds, the strain of H5N1 currently in circulation in the U.S. and Canada has been causing illness and death in a higher diversity of wild bird species than during previous avian influenza outbreaks. The virus also remains highly contagious for domestic poultry. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of avian influenza in domestic poultry in California."

"According to data compiled by the USDA, avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in at least 1,825 individual wild birds in 42 states and the District of Columbia since January 2022. Additionally, infection has been confirmed in 386 commercial and backyard domestic poultry and mixed-species flocks in 37 states. Prior to its detection in North America, avian influenza H5N1 activity had been on the rise across Europe since October 2021."

"Avian predators and scavengers may be exposed to avian influenza viruses when feeding on infected waterbirds. Infection with avian influenza viruses among songbirds, including many common backyard birds, appears to be rare. However, feeding and providing water to wild birds is discouraged, especially in the vicinity of backyard poultry or other captive birds such as ducks, geese, pigeons, doves and parrots. Increased concentration of wild birds at feeders and bird baths may lead to fecal contamination of the local environment, which may aid in disease transmission. Wild birds should be excluded from entering enclosures for domestic and pet birds, and food and water should not be shared between wild birds and domestic or pet birds."
 
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