ASHEBORO, N.C. (NC ZOO) – In response to recent avian flu cases in wild birds in eastern North Carolina, the North Carolina Zoo has temporarily closed its Aviary habitat.
Avian flu is a highly contagious virus affecting a range of bird species, with the potential to cause severe impacts on poultry farms and birds in zoos.
“Closing the Aviary is a preventive, precautionary measure to protect all our bird species at the Zoo as the disease can spread very quickly and is often fatal to them,” said the Zoo’s Director of Animal Health Dr. Jb Minter. “The disease has so far only been found in a very few wild birds in North and South Carolina.”
Currently, none of the birds at the Zoo are showing any signs of the disease and the Zoo says they are working with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and the USDA to determine when the Aviary habitat can safely reopen.
No human infections from this virus have been found in the United States. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says transmission of the virus from birds to humans is very rare and considers the risk to the general public very low. You can find a link to more information on the CDC’s website: cdc.gov/flu/avianflu.
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