Parts of Vienna zoo close after bird flu virus found in dead pelican stat : Yahoo

VIENNA (Reuters) - Parts of Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo have been closed to the public after the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus was found in a pelican that was put down this week, the zoo said on Wednesday. "We now have proof that it was infected with the H5N8 strain of bird flu," zoo veterinarian Thomas Voracek said in the statement. The rest of the pelican flock is being tested for the virus and results are due on Thursday. The zoo's Dalmatian pelicans had been kept in a tent since December as a preventive measure, the zoo said in a statement. "In order to protect the remaining bird stock, the bird house, the rainforest house and the desert house are closed with immediate effect," said the zoo, which is set in the gardens of Schoenbrunn Palace, a former imperial summer residence.




An unknown facility in Lincoln County alerted the state veterinarian's office to an increase in chicken deaths on March 3. Testing confirmed the presence of the strain (H7 HPAI - a North American wild bird lineage) in samples from that flock. TIPS (from the Department of Agriculture):Owners of commercial and backyard poultry flocks are encouraged to closely observe their birds. They say the highly pathogenic avian influenza is known to be deadly for domesticated chickens and turkeys. • Report a sudden increase in the number of sick birds or bird deaths to the state veterinarian's office at 615- 837-5120 and/or USDA at 1-866-536-7593• Prevent contact with wild birds• Practice good biosecurity with your poultry flock


The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has not yet determined the cause of the outbreak. The virus found in Tennessee has been identified as an H7 virus, most likely spread from wild birds in North America. The chicken farm where the virus was found remains under quarantine, as well as all farms in a 10 mile area are under quarantine, according to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture said it is assessing the exact strain of the virus. An outbreak of avian flu in Tennessee has health officials on alert as the virus has surged across parts of Asia in recent months.


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