Overview
- Twelve swans were discovered dead between Dec. 23 and the past week, according to City Commissioner Patty Sheehan.
- The birds’ remains are secured for necropsies, with testing delayed by holiday staffing and results still pending.
- City crews are disinfecting park areas, have removed feeders to limit contact, and urge visitors to avoid birds and droppings and clean shoes if exposed.
- Officials do not consider the deaths suspicious, and Sheehan says the park remains safe for visitors.
- A 2024 outbreak at Lake Eola confirmed avian influenza in multiple birds and shapes the current response, with the swan population previously estimated at 50 to 60.