A deadly outbreak of bird flu has claimed the lives of over 20 tigers at a zoo in southern Vietnam.
The tigers, housed at Vuon Xoai Zoo in Bien Hoa City, succumbed to the disease after being fed infected raw chicken from nearby farms, according to officials. Bird flu is most commonly transmitted between infected birds and humans.
A panther and 20 tigers, including several cubs, succumbed to the illness. Each tiger weighed between 20 and 265 pounds at the time of death, and the group was cremated on-site.
Nguyen Ba Phuc, the zoo’s manager, told state media that the tigers became sick quickly and died within just two days of showing symptoms.
“The tigers died so fast. They looked weak, refused to eat, and died after two days of falling sick,” Phuc said.
Samples taken from the infected animals tested positive for the H5N1 virus, the strain responsible for bird flu. The 30 members of staff responsible for taking care of the tigers tested negative, reporting no adverse health effects.
Vuon Xoai Zoo houses some 3,000 other animals including bears, rhinos, hippos and giraffes.
The zoo has concerns about the spread of the flu beyond birds and into other species.
Last month, a similar outbreak occurred at My Quynh Safari in Long An province, where 27 tigers and three lions also died within a week, according to reports.
The H5N1 virus, which was first identified in 1959, has evolved significantly over the years and has been found in a wide range of animals: dogs, cats, sea lions, and even polar bears.
Some animals are affected more profoundly than others.
In cats, the virus is known to attack the brain and damage blood vessels, leading to seizures and often death.
Jason Baker, Senior Vice President of PETA, expressed alarm over the deaths and the broader implications of keeping wild animals in captivity.
“The deaths of 47 tigers, three lions, and a panther at My Quynh Safari and Vuon Xoai Zoo amid Vietnam’s bird flu outbreak are tragic and highlight the risks of keeping wild animals in captivity,” he said.
He added that such situations also pose a global human health risk, increasing the likelihood of another pandemic.
While the virus primarily affects birds, there have been occasional transmissions to humans.
Earlier this year, two dairy workers in California tested positive for the virus after handling infected poultry, marking some of the few human cases detected globally in 2024.
Although human infections remain rare, public health researchers continue to monitor the situation closely, given the potential for the virus to mutate and cause wider outbreaks.
With bird flu responsible for hundreds of deaths worldwide, primarily through direct contact with infected birds, the continued spread of the virus into other species is raising alarms about how it may affect animal populations and potentially human health.
Vuon Xoai Zoo has placed 20 more tigers in isolation for monitoring, hoping to prevent further spread of the disease, and better understand the vastness of its affect.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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