Nepal Intensifies Bird Flu Response as Outbreak Forces Zoo Closure

Kathmandu— Nepal has culled more than 596,000 poultry and closed its only zoo as authorities seek to contain a widening outbreak of bird flu that has spread across 11 districts since the first cases were reported in March, agriculture officials said on Tuesday.

The outbreak, first detected on March 18, has prompted government livestock authorities to oversee the destruction of more than one million eggs in addition to large-scale culling of chickens and other domestic birds.

Umesh Dahal, director general of Nepal’s Department of Livestock Services, said infections had been confirmed in 11 districts, including three in the Kathmandu Valley, where authorities have recorded the highest concentration of cases.

Dahal said officials suspect wild crows are contributing to the spread of the virus after infected birds were found dead.

“We are concerned because crows have been found dead from infections,” Dahal said, adding that controlling the movement of wild birds posed a significant challenge.

Nepal first reported an outbreak of bird flu in January 2009. The H5 strain has caused widespread outbreaks among poultry and wild birds globally and is associated with high mortality in infected bird populations.

Authorities said no human deaths linked to bird flu have been reported in Nepal during the current outbreak.

The government’s containment measures also led to the closure of the Central Zoo in Kathmandu earlier this month, marking its first shutdown since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zoo spokesperson Ganesh Koirala said several birds and animals, including civet cats, owls, vultures and pigeons, had been infected, with a number of animals dying from the disease.

“The zoo has been closed for an indefinite period until the virus is under control,” Koirala said.

Authorities continue surveillance and disease-control operations as they seek to prevent the outbreak from spreading further.