Bird flu scare at Delhi zoo: Avian death toll rises to 12; facility shut indefinitely

NEW DELHI: Birds have continued to die at the Delhi zoo, which is shut since Aug 30 due to bird flu. On Wednesday, the zoo reported two bird deaths, which were later confirmed to be cases of bird flu.

One avian death was reported on Friday of suspected H5N1 infection. Since Friday, nine more birds — both free-ranging and captive — have been found dead.Officials said that they were carrying out an intense surveillance. The premises were being scanned twice a day, alongside disinfection drives.

Four birds, including three painted storks and a black-headed ibis, are unwell and are being monitored, officials said.."Intense surveillance and strict bio-security measures have been strengthened to prevent the spread and communication of the avian influenza disease among animals, birds and the staff at the National Zoological Park. Surveillance teams are surveying the entire premises twice a day. Intense cleaning and disinfection of enclosures, ponds and foraging grounds of migratory birds are being undertaken," zoo director Sanjeet Kumar said in a statement issued on Sunday.

He said that the health of animals was being monitored through cameras. Zoo staff were also equipped with protective gear.He mentioned that the sick birds were segregated from the aviary for treatment and observation."Till date, six painted storks and two black-headed ibis have died in the water aviary, and four migratory painted storks have died in the ponds. Out of these, two samples of painted storks and two samples of the ibis were found positive for H5N1," the director added.The zoo has been shut indefinitely since Saturday, making it the third time in the last nine years that a bird flu outbreak has led to its closure. The zoo official earlier informed that the first deaths were reported on Wednesday when two painted storks died and their samples were sent to the National Institute for High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, which tested positive for H5N1. A day later, two black-headed ibis also died, the samples of which came back positive on Saturday.