Kosice Zoo Closed to Public Due to Confirmed Bird Flu Case

Kosice, December 11 (TASR) - Kosice Zoo was closed to the public as of Wednesday, as the National Reference Laboratory in Zvolen (Banska Bystrica region) has confirmed a bird flu infection in a hooded merganser duck, Kosice Zoo marketing department head Eva Malesova has informed TASR. The Kosice Regional Veterinary and Food Administration decided that the zoo will remain closed until further notice. The hooded merganser is a species native to North America. The duck was behaving in a strange manner in the zoo's pond, and the suspicions of infection have been confirmed. "Stricter breeding rules apply at Kosice Zoo these days. We've installed disinfection mats at the entrance, especially for supplies, we have a disinfection pool, we add more vitamins and supporting substances to the feed for species threatened by the infection that live in outdoor enclosures," said zoologist Patrik Pastorek. The zoo announced that it will be closed to the public for at least 21 days, depending on how the infection develops. It has cancelled all events that were supposed to take place on its premises until the end of the year. The zoo is home to a total of 150 bird species and more than 580 individuals. ko/df