The avian flu has recently killed as many as 15 birds at the Queens and Bronx zoos, officials confirmed to Gothamist on Friday, revealing new details about the extent of the outbreak that prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to shutter live poultry markets around the city.
The rash of infections has also killed a red tailed hawk in the Bronx and a great horned owl in Queens, according to records from the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Three hooded merganser ducks died at the Queens Zoo of avian flu. Nine wild birds and three “collection ducks” that died at the Bronx Zoo may have been exposed to the virus and lab tests are pending, according to a Wildlife Conservation Society spokesperson.
The spokesperson, who declined to provide their name on the record, said the zoos and aquarium were taking steps to limit the exposure of other animals to birds, mainly waterfowl, that are likely to carry the flu.
“Vulnerable bird species” were moved to protected areas as curators and vets work with city, state and federal regulators, the spokesperson said, adding that the zoos remain open and there’s “little” chance of humans being exposed to the virus.
Around the country, more than 156 million birds have been infected with the virus, leading to the mass slaughter of flocks to slow the spread of the disease, which has driven up the cost of eggs.
The deaths in the wild bird population come as workers at live poultry markets begin shutting down and disinfecting their businesses on Hochul’s orders. The directive also applies to Westchester and Long Island. Seven bird flu cases were detected in poultry markets in the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn last week.
Several live markets that answered phone calls from Gothamist said they were in the process of slaughtering their birds.
There are roughly 84 live bird markets in New York City, according to a 2021 report.
A deceased flock of Canada geese found in Mount Pleasant, about 16 miles from the Bronx Zoo, were also being tested for the presence of avian flu.
This story has been updated to reflect the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation had records on the felled owl and hawk.
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