In a heartening update from Orlando, Florida, “Favorite swans of Lake Eola Park, back to normal after recent avian flu scare. Meanwhile, the number of further casualties connected to bird flu has been reported since then. The present number was known via an announcement made by the City of Orlando spokesperson on Tuesday. This is a major win over the viral outbreak that before this had been claiming a number of its victims from the diverse swan population at the park.

The outbreak, first identified in February, came amid several swans’ unfortunate deaths, which caused the city to enforce stringent safety precautions around the iconic downtown park. Bird casualties included two black-necked swans, one royal mute swan, and an Australian black swan. Promptly, the city and the area carried out their duties, among which the necropsies evinced the cause of death by the bird flu virus.

The City of Orlando responded to the outbreak by conducting an aggressive citywide disinfection campaign, which included treating everything from surfaces throughout Lake Eola Park and making sure that the shoes, uniforms, and equipment of Park Staff were sanitized. They’ve followed the recommendations of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who sought to practice letting the bird flu “run its course” as part of a broad approach in an effort to bring the spread of the disease under control.

The advice of the commission was premised on the fact that some of the birds were likely to develop immunity to the virus, which would see the natural dissipation of the infection over a month. It seems to have borne fruit, for since early March, there has been an absence of new cases, and the worst part of the outbreak is suggested to have been behind by that point.

With the swans out of the way, staff at Lake Eola Park now have the go-ahead to scale back previously implemented safety measures. This development will come as relief for park-goers who will once again be able to feed the swans, as the activity was stopped since the outbreak.

City staff and wildlife officials are attributing that to the hard work of the two-legged creature and to the resiliency of its avian inhabitants. Reassure that, “As life at the park gets back to normal, The City of Orlando and its citizens will be able to look forward to serenely enjoying the presence of Lake Eola Swans, knowing that indeed, these birds can beat the odds.”