Black Swans at Old Summer Palace Test Positive for Bird Flu

The Old Summer Palace is facing a literal black swan event. Three of the park’s nesting community of Cygnus atratus (Black Swans) died last month from bird flu, according to a report released Monday by the Haidian District Animal Epidemic Disease Control Center. Tests conducted by Beijing municipal authorities confirmed the swans had been infected with the H5N8 strain of avian influenza. 

While the threat of the H5N8 subtype of avian flu spreading to humans is relatively low, the strain can be devastating to wild birds and domestic poultry. Last September, over 900,000 chickens, geese, and ducks died in an H5N8 outbreak in Kazakhstan. H5N8 was also blamed for the deaths of three thousand birds in Germany. In the Netherlands, authorities ordered the culling of 48,000 chickens after some of the birds tested positive for the virus. In November, South Korean officials reported cases had been found in wild bird populations in that country.

According to the investigation conducted by Haidian District agencies, the three swans appeared to have been in generally poor health. One of the birds tested was only nine-days old. Authorities suspect the extreme cold that froze the city last month affected the birds’ immunity and made them more susceptible to infection.

Officials and local media have played down the possibility of transmission to domestic birds, citing the lack of poultry farms within five kilometers of the park. Nevertheless, an H5N8 outbreak in China could have the same devastating effects on the poultry industry that Swine Flu had on pork production in recent years. 

District health authorities are taking no chances and have collected 257 samples from the Old Summer Palace and surrounding area. No new cases have been found so far.

The black swans have been a star attraction at the Old Summer Palace since they arrived in 2008. The charismatic large black birds, with their distinctive red beaks, are native to Western Australia but are also famous for "erratic migratory patterns." (Translation: They get lost easily). Black swans are also a popular ornamental bird, and the Beijing branch of the family may be descended from individuals flying in from Japan. Black swans were introduced to Japan in the 1950s. Japanese scientists have designated the swans as an invasive species.

The park remains open, but to prevent the spread of the H5N8 strain the black swan habitat at the Old Summer Palace (which the swans generally ignored anyway) has been closed and disinfected. Visitors are also being asked to avoid approaching and feeding the swans. Park, district, and municipal authorities are staying vigilant against any signs of the strain spreading to other wild birds in the park or nearby areas.

READ: Beicology: Study Finds Beijing is One of China’s Best Places for Preserving Biodiversity

Images: Jeremiah Jenne