Pittsburgh Zoo And National Aviary Take Precautions Against Avian Flu

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - As the avian flu continues to spread, doctors are trying to quell fears of it being another pandemic. To this point, there are no confirmed cases in humans in the United States.

At the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium and National Aviary, precautions are being taken. When visitors go past the flamingos' exhibit, there are signs letting them know they have moved to an indoor exhibit.

"We moved all of our birds inside as a precaution, preventative measures," associate veterinarian Dr. Lauren Kane said.

Both the zoo and aviary have no confirmed cases, but they are not taking chances. According to the zoo, there was a case within 125 miles of the zoo and that's too close for comfort. For some waterfowl like ducks and geese, that's not too far and they can carry the virus.

"That's pretty close to be able to come in contact with some of the free-ranging wildlife here," Dr. Kane said.

Some exhibits at the zoo with standing water have been drained to prevent birds from flying there. Over at the aviary, most of the birds are inside. Those with outdoor exhibits have protection from any infected birds.

"The health and safety of the birds at the National Aviary is our main priority. All of the birds are being checked daily," said Dr. Pilar Fish, the director of zoological advancement at the National Aviary.

Another source of the virus is poultry.

"Even though we see avian flu outbreaks, it is not common that it jumps to the human population," AHN Doctor of Internal Medicine Dr. Brian Lamb said.

He said there is no need to panic. The chicken and the eggs at the grocery store are perfectly fine to buy.

"You're not going to get it from eggs. You're not going to get it from the chicken breast you pick up at Giant Eagle," Dr. Lamb said over Zoom.

He said there is another virus you should be more concerned with at this point.

"Worry more about COVID right now than the avian flu," Dr. Lamb said.

There's no timeline yet on how long the zoo or aviary will have their preventative measure in place.

For more information on avian flu, click here.