Bird flu detected across Kathmandu Valley farms

Nepal’s Central Zoo in Jawalakhel remained closed on July 9 after avian influenza A(H5N1) was again confirmed in dead crows found inside the facility, according to the Kathmandu Post. The closure has stretched to about three weeks, and the paper said the zoo has lost around 20 million Nepalese rupees in revenue during that period. The same report said bird flu has now spread to 84 poultry farms across Kathmandu Valley and 22 more in Kavrepalanchok. Nepal is also dealing with several avian influenza strains, including H5N1, H9N2 and H5Nx, the Kathmandu Post reported. ### Why is the zoo still shut? Fresh detections in dead crows inside the zoo are the immediate reason the zoo has not reopened. The Kathmandu Post reported on July 9 that the latest confirmation made reopening “further uncertain” after an earlier closure linked to infected birds at the site. (kathmandupost.com) Jawalakhel’s Central Zoo had already been shut indefinitely after infection was confirmed among birds there in June. Earlier reporting from the Kathmandu Post said samples had been sent to the Central Veterinary Laboratory and that officials were waiting on laboratory results as they tracked additional suspected cases. (kathmandupost.com) ### How far has the outbreak spread in and around Kathmandu? Kathmandu Valley has become the main active cluster in Nepal’s current outbreak. The Kathmandu Post said 84 poultry farms in the valley were affected as of July 9, while a separate July 7 report from the same paper had put the figure at 71 farms — 24 in Kathmandu, 35 in Bhaktapur and 12 in Lalitpur — showing the count was still rising this week. (kathmandupost.com) Kavrepalanchok has also seen a growing number of cases. The Kathmandu Post said 22 farms there had been hit by July 9, up from 18 farms cited two days earlier. The Himalayan Times reported last week that authorities had culled more than 40,000 ducks and layer chickens in Kavrepalanchok as containment efforts intensified. (kathmandupost.com) ### What are officials saying about the source of spread? The Department of Livestock Services has pointed to crows as a major transmission concern. The Himalayan Times reported on June 28 that Director General Dr. Umesh Dahal said infected crows were the primary source behind continued spread across Kathmandu Valley because they can carry the virus over long distances. (kathmandupost.com) Dead crows have figured repeatedly in the zoo-related detections. The July 9 Kathmandu Post report said the latest confirmed cases were again found in dead crows inside the zoo, linking the wildlife findings to the continued closure and wider surveillance effort. ### Is the outbreak contained anywhere else in Nepal? (thehimalayantimes.com) Seven districts had brought avian influenza under control by July 8, according to the Department of Livestock Services as cited by The Himalayan Times. The districts listed were Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Mahottari, Bara, Chitwan and Nawalparasi, while surveillance and control measures were being stepped up in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok. (kathmandupost.com) Nationally, the outbreak has already led to large-scale culling and destruction of eggs and feed. Rising Nepal reported that authorities had culled 754,500 birds, destroyed 1,091,303 eggs and disposed of 243,635 kilograms of poultry feed, with Kathmandu Valley and Kavrepalanchok accounting for a large share of the losses. ### What happens next for the valley response? (thehimalayantimes.com) Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok remain the focus of testing, tracing and surveillance, according to livestock officials cited by The Himalayan Times. The Kathmandu Post said the zoo was still closed on July 9, with reopening dependent on continued testing and the absence of new detections inside the facility. (risingnepaldaily.com) Department teams are continuing culling and containment work at affected farms, and any update on the zoo’s reopening is expected to depend on further laboratory findings and tracing results in the valley districts. (kathmandupost.com) (thehimalayantimes.com)