H5N1 detected in dead zoo animals in Islamabad. Zoo closed.

[Sharpe]

H5N1 detected in dead zoo animals in Islamabad. Zoo closed.

http://www.dawn.com/2007/02/20/nat5.htm
Islamabad zoo closed amid bird flu scare



<CENTER>By Amin Ahmed</CENTER>
ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The capital?s Marghazar Zoo has been closed for visitors amid bird flu scare. The decision has been taken as a precautionary measures to control the spread of the Avian Influenza H5N1 bird flu strain that is suspected to have killed a dozen ducks and pea-hens over the last week, zoo officials and veterinary experts told Dawn on Monday.

Tests at referral laboratories in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi indicate the existence of the H5N1 virus in the zoo birds. However the results of the tests are yet to be received to confirm the virus.

Informed sources told Dawn that last week ducks were found dead on a pond which raised concern of the zoo officials. The dead ducks were sent to the National Reference Laboratory on the instructions of veterinary experts.

While, the zoo officials were waiting for the report, a dozen more ducks and five pea-hens also died during the last couple of days.

An expert at the National Reference Laboratory requesting not to be named, confirmed the existence of H5N1 bird flu strain that killed the zoo birds.

It is the first case of bird flu attack in a zoo and the fourth in Pakistan this year sending a wave of scare among the animal lovers.

The presence of bird flu virus in a domestic flock of turkeys and peacocks in Islamabad were confirmed on February 6.

Rawalpindi and Mansehra are the other places where the virus has been found in domestic flocks of chickens and peacocks.

According to Livestock Commissioner Dr Muhammad Afzal all the chickens in the flock of about 40 birds at a house in Rawalpindi had died or culled as a result of H5N1.

The Director of Marghazar Zoo, Raja Javed, when contacted confirmed that a dozen of ducks and five pea-hens have so far been found dead and sent to the reference laboratories in Rawalpindi and Islamabad for examination.

Mr Javed said that a mass campaign has been launched to vaccinate all species of animals and birds in the zoo as well as carrying out disinfection sprays in all cages of the zoo. The dead birds have been buried safely.

He said that the authorities have decided to close the zoo for visitors from Tuesday on the instruction of experts for monitoring and prevention of Avian influenza.

It is now almost certain that due to the outbreak of bird flu, the arrival of two pairs of zebras at the Marghazar Zoo will be delayed. The zebras were scheduled to be added to the zoo in next few days.

It has been estimated that approximately 275,000 people including children visit the zoo annually.

Last year, hundreds of thousands of flu-hit birds were culled in commercial farms in various parts of the country, causing a loss of Rs10 billion to the poultry industry.

The federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has sought Rs1.185 billion in the next budget for monitoring and surveillance of bird flu.

The project also includes legislations that will remove hurdles in the way of forming a national level integrated strategy to control the avian flu.

In a related move, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have asked the government to come up with a project to monitor the spread of avian flu not only in animals but also in humans.

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: H5N1 detected in dead zoo animals in Islamabad. Zoo closed.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL29191.htm

ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Four peacocks and a goose have died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the only zoo in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Tuesday.

"We conducted tests and they were all positive for H5N1," Mohammad Afzal, livestock commissioner at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, told Reuters.

It was the fourth case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu detected in Pakistan this year. The strain was first found in poultry last year and about 40,000 birds were culled.

It reappeared in poultry this month on a small farm near Islamabad.

Authorities had closed down the Marghazar Zoo and health officials were conducting screening tests and taking measures to ensure it did not spread, said a spokesman for the city administration, which runs the zoo.

"The zoo has been closed for the public as a precautionary measure. It will be reopened once all tests are completed," said the spokesman, Hayat Khan.

There have been no cases of human infection from the virus in Pakistan. The virus has killed 167 people worldwide since 2003.

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: H5N1 detected in dead zoo animals in Islamabad. Zoo closed.

More on peacocks here

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16152

 

[hawkeye]

Pakistan confirms bird flu in Islamabad zoo

Pakistan confirms bird flu in Islamabad zoo

Pakistan confirms bird flu in Islamabad zoo
Tue 20 Feb 2007 4:14 AM ET

(Adds comment, closure of zoo)

ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Four peacocks and a goose have died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the only zoo in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Tuesday.

"We conducted tests and they were all positive for H5N1," Mohammad Afzal, livestock commissioner at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, told Reuters.

It was the fourth case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu detected in Pakistan this year. The strain was first found in poultry last year and about 40,000 birds were culled.

It reappeared in poultry this month on a small farm near Islamabad.

Authorities had closed down the Marghazar Zoo and health officials were conducting screening tests and taking measures to ensure it did not spread, said a spokesman for the city administration, which runs the zoo.

"The zoo has been closed for the public as a precautionary measure. It will be reopened once all tests are completed," said the spokesman, Hayat Khan.

There have been no cases of human infection from the virus in Pakistan. The virus has killed 167 people worldwide since 2003.

 

[Mingus]

Re: Pakistan confirms bird flu in Islamabad zoo

Re: Pakistan confirms bird flu in Islamabad zoo

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/Feb07/22/08.htm

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] News
[/FONT] VThursday, February 22, 2007


Lab confirms bird flu in capital zoo

ISLAMABAD: Lab results have confirmed that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu killed 24 birds at the Marghazar Zoo from February 12 to 19, a meeting at the residence of Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao was told on Wednesday.
The meeting was told that the National Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases (NARC) tested the dead birds for bird flu and found the H5N1 strain in them. Zoo officers have started screening, disinfection and isolation of birds and no deaths have taken place since Tuesday. The National Institute for Health and World Health Organisation have also been contacted for screening and preventive medication of all zoo workers. Complete screening, disinfection and fumigation of the zoo has been started. Zoo workers are being provided the prescribed personal protection equipment for their safety at work, the meeting was told. staff report
Courtesy DailyTimes.com.pk

 

[hawkeye]

Bird flu: zoo officials await attendants? test results

Bird flu: zoo officials await attendants? test results

Bird flu: zoo officials await attendants? test results

ISLAMABAD: Authorities at the Marghazar Zoo said on Thursday that a decision to reopen the facility to the public would be made only after they got the results of the bird flue tests carried out on the attendants. ?We were expecting the results from the health authorities today, but now we will most likely get them on Friday,? Zoo and Wildlife Director Raja Javed told Daily Times. The zoo was closed on Monday for three days after 24 birds, including ducks and peacocks, died in the past week. Tests conducted revealed the presence of the avian H5N1 virus. The dead birds were safely buried in the vicinity. The facility was to reopen Friday. However its fate now depends mainly on the test results. staff report

 

[Niko]

Re: Pakistan confirms bird flu in Islamabad zoo

Re: Pakistan confirms bird flu in Islamabad zoo

Peacocks blamed for bird flu outbreak at zoo

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="430"><tbody><tr><td class="dates" id="hDate" height="27">Published: Saturday, 24 February, 2007, 09:02 AM Doha Time

</td></tr></tbody></table>ISLAMABAD: A fresh outbreak of bird flu has struck the zoo in Islamabad, where a gift batch of infected peacocks is blamed for decimating bird displays.

The Marghazar Zoo has been temporarily closed after test results this week confirmed the deaths of ducks and geese from the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is also lethal to humans.

?We took emergency action by culling five peacocks and vaccinated the rest of the flocks. The entire premises has also been fumigated,? zoo director Raja Javed said as his 84 staff members underwent daily medical checks for any sign of the virus.

Two dozen of birds died after the zoo received a gift of seven peacocks on February 12. Health inspectors had only just given the collections a clean bill of health when the new birds arrived.

The virus hit only ordinary species of ducks, geese and peacocks kept in one section of the leafy zoo nestling at the foot of the Margalla Hills. Other birds like eagles, owls and birds of song tested negative for H5N1, Javed said.

Although bird flu has affected humans in several countries, there were no recorded cases of people getting the disease in Pakistan.

But a main concern is that wild birds found on the zoo grounds such as starlings and sparrows could become infected and carry the virus to other parts of the city of almost 1mn inhabitants.

Red ribbons mark the infected area and across the deserted premises staff can be seen wearing surgical masks and protective suits as they go about their daily tasks, apparently unruffled by the emergency.

?Workers are performing their duties without any fear - you can see for yourself,? zookeeper Mohamed Imran said.

However, some staff have complained about not receiving sufficient supplies of masks, gloves and overalls during the containment of the outbreak.

Water and oil-based vaccine against the virus was being administered to the remaining birds. A single vial costing around $60 is enough to inoculate more than 100 birds, said Javed, adding that the zoo could reopen in March if there were no more bird deaths.

Four employees with protective clothing have been specially assigned to tend to the suspect bird collections and clean the cages.

Health officials warned keepers to avoid contact with the animals where possible.

?Do not enter the cages without taking precautionary measures and if the management forces you, simply refuse,? Najeeb Durrani of the National Institute of Health (NIH) told staff during a visit yesterday.

The health official is well aware of the dangers from the virus, which after lying dormant for a year flared up in Pakistan earlier this month in Islamabad?s twin city Rawalpindi.

Forty chickens at a farm died of the H5N1 strain or were killed while infected, according to the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock.
Other cases in peacocks were simultaneously detected in the North-West Frontier Province, where in February 2006 authorities carried out a preventive cull of some 40,000 birds.

Experts fear the disease could mutate and infect the human population, causing a global pandemic that could kill millions.

So far 273 cases of humans contracting bird flu have been reported worldwide and 167 infected people have died, Durrani said.

While the media have exhaustively reported earlier cases of bird flu, public knowledge about the virus is still generally low in the country.

?Bird flu is found only in chickens, there is nothing to fear at the zoo,? opined a private security guard working near the zoo. - DPA

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topi...=134567&version=1&template_id=41&parent_id=23

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Bird flu: zoo officials await attendants? test results

Re: Bird flu: zoo officials await attendants? test results

Bird flu fears — Marghzar Zoo staff, birds to be tested every 3 months

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\02\25\story_25-2-2007_pg11_2

ISLAMABAD: The employees of Marghzar Zoo and the birds housed there will have to undergo tests for detecting bird flu every three months to prevent the reoccurrence of any sudden outbreak of the disease.

CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari said this while speaking at a meeting of the authority to discuss the issue of closure of the zoo after 20 birds died due to the H5NI avian influenza virus and forced health authorities to test all the other birds and employees for the disease. Eight of the employees tested negative for the strain, according to test results announced on Friday.

The CDA chairman took stern notice of the continued closure of the zoo and directed the management to reopen it within two days. He asked the management to start testing birds and their caretakers at regular intervals - every three months - so that the zoo would not have to be closed again. The meeting appreciated the response of health authorities in the aftermath of the outbreak to stop the further spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, Mazhar Hussain, the CDA’s environment wing director general, said in a statement that authorities concerned, including the zoo’s management, had been informed of the directives issued during the meeting. He said that arrangements for reopening the zoo were in the “final stage”, adding that the zoo would be opened within two days. The zoo has 250 birds and 88 other animals.

 

[Anne]

Re: Bird flu: zoo officials await attendants? test results

Re: Bird flu: zoo officials await attendants? test results

http://www.dawn.com/2007/02/24/nat40.htm


LAHORE, Feb 23: No blood testing of any Lahore Zoo bird has been carried out so far to detect the possibility of bird flu although the fatal epidemic was reported in the Islamabad Zoo two weeks ago.

Officials told Dawn that a request was faxed to the Central Avian Influenza Monitoring Laboratory, Islamabad, on Feb 20 by the Lahore Zoo director to send a team to take samples.

In response, the laboratory officials advised the Lahore Zoo to adopt precautionary measures besides contacting the Veterinary Research Institute at Lahore.

Zoo Director Yousaf Pal said a veterinary University team did visit the zoo on Friday, but did not take any sample. ?They have promised to do the needful in a day or two,? he added.

About the measures taken so far, the director said the zoo committee had already met on Feb 10 and decided a number of measures.