PHOENIX — The Phoenix Zoo has confirmed the deaths of 14 pelicans due to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as the bird flu.
HPAI is an infectious disease caused by type A strains of the influenza virus that impacts birds. These viruses naturally spread among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.
“On Saturday, October 15, some of the Zoo’s pink-backed pelicans began showing signs of neurologic impairment. Shortly after, both of the Zoo’s brown pelicans and three white pelicans also developed similar symptoms,” says Dr. Gary West, Senior Vice President of Animal Health and Living Collections at the Phoenix Zoo.
Zoo officials say, “despite being taken to the Zoo’s animal care center for examination, testing, and intensive treatment, we unfortunately lost all nine pink-backed pelicans, one brown pelican and two white pelicans. Another two pelicans who were exhibiting similar symptoms were humanely euthanized last week.”
The affected pelicans were all housed on the lake in the Children's Zoo area.
The rest of the zoo's birds seem to be unaffected at this time, according to zoo officials.
Earlier in the summer, migration patterns of birds were not taking place over the state of Arizona and the zoo did not see any cases of Avian Influenza among our collection birds. However, with winter migration patterns, the state is seeing numerous cases of this disease.
“We have closed our Tropical Flights Aviary to the general public until further notice and ceased our behind-the-scenes tours with our flamingos to keep our collection birds safe,” says West. “Public health risk of avian-human transmission of HPAI H5 viruses circulating among birds in the United States is thought to be low. As always, do not touch or feed wild birds."
The Arizona Game and Fish Department said recently that is investigating reports of dead birds in the Valley and working to determine possible cases of avian flu. There is no indication that these two possible breakouts of bird flu were related.
