Akron Zoo bringing birds indoors amid bird flu outbreak

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AKRON, Ohio (WJW / AP) – The Akron Zoo is taking extra precautions to protect its animals amid an ongoing bird flu outbreak across the country.
Zoo officials took to social media Thursday morning, confirming they were temporarily moving some of their birds indoors “as a precaution for our birds’ safety as cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been detected in Ohio.”
The birds, which were included in some photos on the zoo’s Facebook post, will not be viewable to the public at this time.
According to zoo officials, all of their birds remain healthy.
The Akron Zoo said there is no increased risk to guests, pointing out that the risk to humans is very low.
“For our birds here at the zoo, the risk comes from native birds who land on zoo grounds,” the Facebook post said. “We know you love our feathered friends as much as we do. The health and welfare of our birds is our top priority.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, within the past 30 days, 25 commercial flocks have been affected by HPAI in Ohio, mostly in Mercer and Darke counties.
The Akron Zoo said the birds will return to their outdoor exhibits when the bird flu risk decreases.
The announcement comes a few weeks after a harbor seal and a Chilean flamingo died from avian influenza at the Chicago Zoo.
Bird flu is primarily spread by wild birds such as ducks and geese as they migrate. While it is fatal to a variety of animals, those species can generally carry it without getting sick, which offers the virus a chance to mutate and thrive.
The virus can be spread through droppings or any interaction between farm-raised poultry and wild birds. It’s also easily tracked into a farm on someone’s boots or by vehicle.
Unlike previous outbreaks, the one that began in 2022 didn’t die out in high summer temperatures.
More than five dozen people have also become ill with bird flu and one person died since last March. Nearly all of them worked around sick animals. Health officials haven’t yet found evidence of the disease spreading from person to person.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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