Will Zoos Be First to Spot Avian Flu?
March 14, 2006 -- -- It's not just the nation's hospitals, coroners and clinics that are keeping an eye out for signs the deadly avian flu has reached U.S. shores, but zoos as well.
With a controlled population of birds and animals under constant watch by experts, zoos make great listening posts for illnesses like avian flu.
"We are very good canaries in the proverbial coal mine," said Dr. Dominic Travis, director of the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. "But we're better than that because we can also help solve the problem."
Zoos have helped detect and deal with past deadly disease outbreaks.
Back in 1999, Dr. Tracey McNamara, a veterinarian at the Bronx Zoo, was investigating the mysterious death of a number of wild crows found on zoo grounds.
After some testing, investigation and analysis, McNamara concluded it was the rare and deadly West Nile virus that had killed the birds -- and a number of New Yorkers too.
"They [the Bronx Zoo] were the first ones to connect the bird cases and human cases," said Dr. Nina Marano, associate director for Veterinary Public Health at the CDC. "This wasn't part of their protected species, but because they represent a great place for urban wildlife to reside thanks to their being very attractive places that have ponds and trees, wildlife flock there."
City zoos have often played host to local bird and animal populations just looking for a patch of green to call their own.
Since the zoo's staff monitors and tests its population, it becomes an ideal sentinel on the lookout for new illnesses.
"We have a lot of different species that are susceptible to these things, we have keepers that are well-trained in husbandry and health," Travis explained. "We have vets available that can deal with the next level of health and take samples and are prepared to deal with the testing and then the response to that, and we have millions of people coming through the gate so we represent places of congregation."
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