Zoos have joined together as part of the National Zoological West Nile Virus Surveillance Working Group, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Participating are more than 35 zoos, the New York State Diagnostic Laboratory at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, and public health departments. Samples from ill or dead outdoor zoo animals, dead wildlife found on zoo grounds, and outdoor zoo collection animals that are being shipped, are sent to Cornell to be tested for West Nile virus. This may give an early warning to public health departments about the presence of the virus in their regions.
"From a public health point of view, it seems that zoos are vigilant about looking for diseases that might threaten their valuable collections. That's why we pursued a diagnosis in the crows in 1999. We do active health surveillance 365 days a year," says ...
