What is the National Zoo doing to minimize the risk for the animals at the Zoo?
A team of National Zoo experts is creating detailed guidelines and protocols that will help decrease the risk of avian influenza infecting our animals if it were to arrive in North America. In addition to continuing standard biosafety measures and performing regular health checks of the Zoo’s animals, the National Zoo is: • Maintaining strict testing and health requirements for animals entering our collection. • Identifying indoor housing options for our birds in case there’s a regional outbreak. • Developing a surveillance program for our birds. • Instituting the use of disinfectant footbaths in non-public areas of the Zoo for staff and visitors who go behind-the-scenes into animal areas. This will reduce the chance of people bringing the virus into animal areas on their shoes. • Netting over selected outdoor bird exhibits to prevent entry of wild waterfowl. What is the National Zoo doing to minimize the risk for Zoo visitors? At present there is no risk to Zoo visitors as there are n
