Avian Influenza and Our Biosecurity Protocols

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Pelican flying against cloudless sky.
12 May

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a severe form of avian influenza that poses a significant threat to both wildlife and domestic bird species worldwide. The virus primarily affects birds, but can also infect mammals, a phenomenon which has led to documented cases in animal care facilities like zoos and aquariums. At the Virginia Aquarium, our staff have taken measures to protect the resident animals.

Our team has standard policies in place for monitoring and responding to any infectious diseases in wildlife that may impact the resident animals, with a specialized policy in place for HPAI. This allows us to be responsive to the current risk levels in our region, incorporating any developing information about species at risk, and adjusting internal procedures accordingly.

There are three main goals:

Prevention

Prevent the spread of an infectious disease to the Aquarium’s resident animals.

Response

Respond appropriately if the disease is detected in the Aquarium’s resident animals.

Protection

Keep staff, visitors, and other animals safe.

Russell the American crow holding a peanut in her beak.

HPAI is highly contagious and can spread rapidly through direct contact with sick animals, or indirectly through contaminated materials. To avoid this, our Animal Care team uses several biosecurity measures to safeguard our animals. This includes having our staff change footwear, use foot baths, remove droppings, restrict wild bird and rodent activity, and monitor animals closely.

Using foot baths and changing footwear prevents contaminated materials from entering our facility on the soles of staff shoes. We use a combination of foot baths at various animal care area entry points and changing footwear completely before entering bird habitats.

Aquarium staff monitor our animal habitats closely, and remove any visible droppings from birds or other animals immediately, as these can transmit the virus. We also work to prevent the entry of wild birds and rodents from our surrounding area that may carry HPAI into the enclosures. One example of this is seen at Owlex the great horned owl’s enclosure, where drop-down panels were installed on the outside of the exhibit, including a transparent panel in the front so guests can still view her. In addition, our staff regularly monitor resident animals for early signs of illness and are prepared to isolate, assess, and treat any animals showing signs of infection.

These measures aim to reduce the risks of an HPAI outbreak at our Aquarium, and are critical to ensuring the continued well-being of our animals!