NEW BEDFORD — A small pond near the entrance to Buttonwood Park Zoo, normally occupied by various waterfowl, was quiet when Shara Rapoza passed by.
“See that lone Canada goose over there? said the zoo’s acting director, pointing to the enclosure last Monday. “It’s not one of our birds.”
In March, three cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAIV) H5N1 have been detected among Canada geese killed by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife – two in Barnstable County and one in Middlesex.
At that time, the zoo moved its 146 poultry of 37 different species – many of which are endangered – to safer environments, either indoors (often off display) or outdoor exhibits with thick netting. .
“It’s almost a silent waterfowl killer,” Rapoza said. “You won’t know until they’re already dead.”
The bird virus is spreading across the country
HPAIV H5N1 is a virus that primarily affects birds – although it can occasionally infect humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is especially deadly to domestic poultry, such as chickens.
The virus is transmitted through the nasal and salivary secretions of infected birds, as well as through faeces.
The current HPAIV outbreak began in January and has since spread across the country, infecting more than 38 million domestic birds in 35 states as of Wednesday, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
There have been 1,186 cases detected among wild birds according to the most recent USDA update May 16.
The spread of the virus has been so rapid that it is considered a major factor in the rapid rise in egg prices.
In Massachusetts, agencies detected the virus in a single domestic flock of 256 birds in Berkshire County. The Department of Fish and Wildlife detected 13 other cases among wild poultry — 12 in Barnstable County and one in Middlesex County.
The last infection detected in the state was reported on May 13, a dead sanderling in Barnstable County.
To date, no cases have been found among wild or domestic birds in Bristol County.
Protect critically endangered birds
Knowing the risks, the zoo has taken protective measures knowing that an epidemic can force a slaughter of the collection.
“It’s really in our interest to make sure we don’t have any positive cases, because we don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where we’re potentially euthanizing a critically endangered or genetically valuable bird.” , Rapoza said. “That’s one of the reasons we made the decision to bring a lot of our birds indoors and even some to an off-site location.”
This second site is the former Environmental Protection Agency facility at the Port of New Bedford. Formerly a dewatering plant used by the EPA and Port Authority as part of their Port cleaningthe city now uses it to house 47 Buttonwood poultry in a 54,900 square foot warehouse.
“We went to check it out and it’s the right size, good ventilation, good lighting, not really being used at the moment,” Rapoza said, adding that he also has the water and drainage facilities needed for care. of the bird.
In the former EPA building, staff must wear masks, personal protective equipment, clean their tools, and change shoes.
Due to isolation measures, The standard times was unable to visit the port facilities.
Preventive measures
Inside Buttonwood Park Zoo’s animal care center, Rapoza opened a door before lifting a foot high, dipping her sole in a bucket full of antiviral solution and putting it down before repeating with her other foot.
Behind a screen door is a small blue pond filled with water and eight ducks – a mix of hooded mergansers, goldeneyes and a golden-eyed duck.
“It’s a really good example of a temporary facility that we have,” she said. The ducks were kept in an off-display section of the seal enclosure, but it was being cleaned when The standard times visited.
Although the impact of the outbreak was minimal, according to Buttonwood, it forced them to halt some popular programs.
“We normally encourage feeding our waterfowl and obviously the flies get it,” Rapoza said, pointing to a feeder. “It was one of the first things we had to drop because we didn’t want to encourage wild birds to fly.”
Warmer weather should kill the virus
Nonetheless, she said warm temperatures are expected to kill the virus in the coming weeks. She hopes to get things back to normal by July.
That being said, they are prepared should the worst happen.
“Vets will definitely start doing individual exams and looking closely at all the birds,” Rapoza said. “The thing about birds is that they’re good at hiding things.
“Our caretakers are really good at picking up on the little subtle things with all of our animals because they know them so well and work with them every day.”
Contact Kevin G. Andrade at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter: @KevinGAndrade. Support local journalism and subscribe to the Standard-Times today!
