#15,576
We've another indication of the eastward movement of HPAI across the nation (see Saturday's Georgia Reports 1st Commercial HPAI H5 Poultry Outbreak) with the announcement yesterday from the Richmond Metro Zoo of two crane deaths due to HPAI H5N1.
Last week Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo Confirmed H5N1 Deaths in a Harbor Seal & Flamingo while last month we saw a zoo in Arizona (see Maricopa County Health Dept. Statement On H5 At Local Zoo) report the loss of a number of animals including a cheetah, mountain lion, swamphen, an Indian goose and a kookaburra.
Last week, we also saw a similar outbreak at the Nuremberg Tiergarten (Zoo) in Germany. With migratory birds on the move around the globe, there is simply a lot of virus in the environment right now.
The statement from the Richmond Metro Zoo follows, after which I'll have a brief postscript:
Statement Regarding Positive Tests for H5 “Bird Flu” in Cranes
Jan 20, 2025
The Metro Richmond Zoo is partnering with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to respond to and monitor positive tests for H5 bird flu in deceased cranes. The zoo remains open, and the public’s current risk of bird flu remains low.
A deceased crane tested positive for bird flu at VDACS laboratory on January 16. A second crane presumptively tested positive for bird flu. This is the first positive test of bird flu in the zoo’s 30-year history. The affected birds did not live in any of our aviaries where the public share a common space with birds.
The zoo is saddened by the loss of the cranes and our thoughts are with the zookeepers who cared for them. Our animal care team remains committed to providing the best care for our animals. We are taking precautions to keep our animals, staff, and guests safe and healthy.
VDACS has been on-site at the zoo to evaluate the need for additional testing and monitor the health of our other animals. VDH is conducting a public health response to complement the VDACS animal health response. VDH is monitoring the health of zoo staff who had close contact with the infected birds.
The bird flu is widespread in native, wild birds worldwide and can spread to domestic birds and other animals in human care. The current public health risk in the United States is low for H5 bird flu. Currently, there are no reports of H5 bird flu infections in people in Virginia.
Since the risk to the public is low, the zoo will continue to operate normally during the multi-agency investigation. Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily close the budgie exhibit and walk-through bird aviary.
For more information, contact Brookie Crawford, Risk Communications Manager for the Virginia Department of Health, at brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov.
Resources about H5 Bird Flu
Virginia Department of Health
There are currently multiple reports of wild bird deaths around the nation, including some calls to take down bird feeders. Outbreaks in commercial poultry, which three months ago were mainly coming from Western states, have largely shifted east (see map below).
The H5 virus currently lacks the ability to transmit efficiently from human-to-human, but every new mammalian infection is another opportunity for the virus to crack that code.
While the CDC continues to rank the risk to general public from avian flu as low, they do provide very specific guidance to pet owners on how to limit their risk of infection from the virus (see What Causes Bird Flu in Pets and Other Animals).
And given the reports of heightened virus activity across the nation, it is advice well worth heeding.
