Following an avian flu outbreak, an unspecified number of penguins at Hampshire’s Marwell Zoo in the UK have died.
The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs verified the presence of the highly dangerous H5N1 virus at the site (Defra).
“We were informed yesterday that a number of our penguins had tested positive for avian influenza. Unfortunately, these birds died as a result of their illness,” stated Marwell Zoo.
The zoo has continued to welcome tourists despite “a number” of native birds to Antarctica dying. But security measures are in place. Bird enclosures are no longer accessible to the general public, and antiseptic foot dips have been constructed.
A surveillance zone covering a 3 km radius has been established around the zoo to track any more infections.
Owners of bird flocks have been urged to keep their animals indoors across the UK. This will lessen contact with wild birds that could be contaminated. The flamingos at Marwell Zoo have been relocated to a covered area of their current enclosure in accordance with the government housing requirement enacted on November 7 by the British government.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency and Defra are currently collaborating with Marwell Zoo, which has more than 1,200 animals kept in captivity, to ensure full compliance with all required biosecurity measures.
The deadliest case of avian flu ever recorded in the UK
Penguins are only one bird affected by the avian flu outbreak.
According to research from last month, disease outbreaks have caused the deaths or slaughter of half of the “free-range” turkeys in the UK. This is the tip of the iceberg and represents more than 600,000 birds.
Since October, Defra has determined that over 2.3 million birds of various species have died from disease or intentional killing. It also disclosed that since October 1 there have been 140 confirmed cases of H5N1 avian flu in the UK.
The current avian flu pandemic has been dubbed the deadliest in UK history. The likelihood of transmission to people is still minimal.
Source: “Captive Penguins At A UK Zoo Have Died From Avian Flu” by Plant Based News
Vkind is the U.S.’s largest fully-vegan search platform and listing app. Give our search tool a whirl and find any vegan product, service, or experience you desire.
