Indian zoo stops feeding chickens to hawks on bird flu fears

Tests of a brown fish owl, which died at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi, confirmed that the bird was infected with the H5N8 virus

More deaths of crows, herons, swans, pigeons and poultry from bird flu have been confirmed in Maharashtra and other states

1-MIN READ1-MIN

A volunteer wearing personal protective equipment as a precaution against the spread of bird flu attends to an injured rescued bird at a temporary shelter in Ahmedabad. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:52pm, 18 Jan 2021Updated: 11:29pm, 18 Jan 2021

A state-run zoo in India has stopped feeding chickens to birds such as hawks, eagles and owls as bird flu outbreaks spread to more than 10 states in the country.

Serological tests of a brown fish owl, which died at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi, confirmed that the bird was infected with the H5N8 virus, likely from feed derived from chicken, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Birds in captivity at the zoo have been isolated, it said over the weekend.

More deaths of crows, herons, swans, pigeons and poultry from bird flu have been confirmed in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Delhi, the animal husbandry ministry said in a separate statement late Sunday. Culling operations continue, it added.

A market vendor sits near the empty cages meant for chickens at Delhi's Ghazipur's poultry market in New Delhi amid a bird flu scare. Photo: EPA-EFE

The outbreaks in the world’s second-biggest egg producer threaten the poultry industry, which is recovering after prices slumped last year on speculation that chickens could spread the coronavirus. The Us$14 billion industry directly or indirectly employs 5 million people and supports 25 million producers.

The federal government has urged some affected states to reconsider their decisions to ban poultry sales and advised them to allow sellers to source chickens from non-infected areas. “Consumption of well-cooked chicken and eggs is safe for humans,” it said, adding that consumers should ignore rumours.