Bird flu has struck two New York City zoos, claiming the lives of at least three ducks and potentially up to 15 birds, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages both facilities.
Three ducks at the Queens Zoo succumbed to the virus, while tests are underway to confirm the cause of death for three ducks and nine wild birds at the Bronx Zoo.
As a precautionary measure, vulnerable bird species at both zoos have been relocated to protected areas over the past two weeks.
This news comes on the heels of a statewide order to temporarily close bird markets in the New York metropolitan area.
Seven cases of avian flu were detected during routine inspections in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to order the week-long closures as a precaution.
In New York, live bird markets where the virus was detected have to dispose of all poultry in a sanitary manner, according to the order. Other bird markets that do not have cases will have to sell off remaining poultry, clean and disinfect and then remain closed for at least five days and be inspected by state officials before reopening.
While there is no immediate public health threat, the governor emphasized the need for caution.
The nationwide avian flu outbreak has already devastated poultry farms, leading to the culling of millions of birds and contributing to a surge in egg prices.
Due to the bird flu outbreak, there are millions fewer hens, meaning way fewer eggs. Frustrated shoppers across the country have even started posting videos of empty shelves where eggs once lay.
More than 13 million hens were lost to the virus in December alone, according to the USDA’s latest Egg Markets Overview.
The spread of the virus to New York City zoos underscores the ongoing challenge of containing the outbreak.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the virus poses low risk to the general public.
The agency said there have been 67 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans in the US, none of them in New York.
The first bird flu death in the US was reported in January in Louisiana, with health officials saying the person was older than 65, had underlying medical problems and had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.
