So, preventive measures are being taken based on guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority," said Bipul Chakrabarty, director of Tata zoo. Apart from facilitating blood tests, the zoo has stopped procuring poultry products that serve as soft meat for carnivorous animals. There are several strains of avian flu that have only emerged in birds and do not infect humans. Tata zoo vet Manik Palit said though avian influenza had not been reported in the east in recent months, wild water birds could be quick carriers of the H5N8. The virus subtypes differ in the kind of proteins they carry on their surfaces.

Source: The Telegraph October 23, 2016 22:07 UTC