Bird flu suspected to have killed dozens of captive tigers in Vietnam | Health News

Leopards in a resort in Dong Nai province died after being fed a sick chicken, and other deaths were reported in other areas.

Dozens of tigers, three lions and a panther have died in game reserves in southern Vietnam, with subsequent tests finding cases of bird flu.

The country’s Ministry of Health in a statement on Thursday said two samples taken from dead tigers at the Mango Garden Resort in Dong Nai province were found to be infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus.

Since the beginning of last month, 20 tigers have died at the resort after being fed chicken, said Phan Van Phuc, head of the Center for Disease Control in Dong Nai province, in a statement.

“It is possible that the tigers were infected by a sick chicken, the officials are following the trail of the chicken to find out the cause,” said Phan.

Earlier, state media said 47 tigers, three lions and a panther had died at My Quynh safari park in Long An province and Vuon Xoai zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City, in August and September.

The animals died “due to the H5N1 type A virus”, according to the results of the National Center for Animal Health Diagnosis reported by the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on Wednesday.

None of the zoo workers in contact with the animals have developed respiratory symptoms, the VNA report said.

Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), an NGO focused on wildlife conservation, said there are 385 tigers living in captivity in Vietnam by the end of 2023.

About 310 are kept in 16 farms and zoos owned by individuals, while others are in government facilities.

The global health organization, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that from 2022, there will be increasing reports of outbreaks in mammals caused by influenza viruses, including H5N1.

The agency says that H5N1 infections can range from mild to severe in humans, and in some cases can be fatal.

Vietnam notified the WHO of a human death from the virus in March.

In Thailand, dozens of tigers died from bird flu or were euthanized in the world’s largest breeding farm in 2004.