Bird flu forces the closure of the largest public park in Rome

Was a common goose (‘anser anser’) and the veterinarians found him last Friday, already dead, in Villa Doria Pamphilj, the Rome’s largest urban public park. Scare from another outbreak at a poultry farm in the nearby town of Ostia in early November prompted quick action. That same day at night, the animal was transferred to a laboratory of the Venice Zooprophylactic Institute (IZSVe), the main one in Italy in these matters, and on Sunday the verdict came: the cause of the bird’s death was the H5N1 virus, the bird flu. Thus the city council of the Italian capital made the decision to partially close Pamphilj park “for 10 days or the time necessary to carry out the necessary analyzes”, as the Councilor for the Environment Sabrina Alfonsi said.

The rarity is that such a case never happened in Rome, as confirmed by the veterinarian Ugo Della Marta, general director of the Lazio and Tuscany Zooprophylactic Institute. “It is the first time that the highly pathogenic H5N1 (HPAI) has been detected in an urban park in the city, although this is probably the result of chance. We believe that it is possible that the animal could have been infected by wild birds, one of the main vectors of this disease, “the expert, whose center was the first to discover the contagion, explains to EL PERIÓDICO.” Unfortunately, there is an ongoing very serious epidemic in Europe, which is also affecting northern Italy, particularly poultry farms for laying hens and turkeys, “he adds.

Other victims

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In the same Villa Pamphilj the goose has not been the only victim. Another animal was found, similarly lifeless, on Monday, three days after the first death was detected. “Although the results of the examinations have not yet come, it is about a swan with signs of the disease& rdquor ;, explains Della Marta. “We are moderately concerned. In the next few days, we will try to capture some specimens that live in the park’s pond for further analysis. At the moment, the hypothesis that they are euthanized is not on the table, while it is possible that we transfer them to a closed structure & rdquor ;, he continues, also clarifying that it is yet to be determined whether these cases are related to the Ostia outbreak.

In truth, the concern refers to the fact that, In less than two months, the contagion has been growing in the country, in numbers and dangerousness. The first outbreak this year, detected in October, was in the province of Ferrara, in the Emilia Romagna region (north), and was of “low pathogenicity”. Today, on the other hand, the most affected regions are the northern Lombardy and Veneto -particularly the areas near the cities of Brescia, Padua and Verona-, where the virus present “is that of high pathogenic risk& rdquor; and it has already affected 3.8 million birds, including (in addition to turkeys and chickens) also quail, guinea fowl, wild ducks and game birds, according to the latest report updated to November 26 from the Venice IZSVe.