Bird Flu Outbreak Kills Dozens of Tigers and Other Big Cats at Vietnam Zoos

Bird flu appears to person devastated large cats surviving astatine 2 zoos successful South Vietnam. Dozens of cats successful these zoos died precocious aft contracting the viral infection, according to state-owned media reports.

On Wednesday, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported the feline deaths, which were confirmed by authorities officials. The deaths took spot astatine the privately-owned My Quynh safari parkland successful Long An state and the Vuon Xoai zoo successful Dong Nai, adjacent Ho Chi Minh City. Though the information of vulnerability to humans appears to beryllium debased for the clip being, the study is the latest worrying lawsuit of wide vertebrate flu transmission to mammals.

At slightest 47 tigers, 3 lions, and a panther astatine these zoos are thought to person died from the vertebrate flu passim August and September. According to the VNA, samples obtained from 2 dormant cats tested affirmative for a strain of H5N1 avian influenza. Officials judge that the cats whitethorn person contracted the corruption done contaminated chickenhearted meat, and they are presently trying to way the root of the chicken.

Since 2022, H5N1 strains person progressively started to dispersed from birds to mammals. This twelvemonth successful particular, H5N1 has dispersed wide among dairy cattle and different livestock successful the United States. So far, determination person been 15 total quality cases of H5N1 successful the U.S. since 2022, 4 cases tied to cattle since April 2024, and 1 caller lawsuit with nary wide root of transmission. However, wellness officials are now investigating whether a diligent successful Missouri whitethorn person perchance dispersed their corruption to different adjacent contacts.

According to VNA, nary zoo workers were successful adjacent interaction with the cats portion they were exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory infection. Health officials successful the U.S. and elsewhere accidental that the wide menace to the nationalist from H5N1 and different vertebrate flu strains is inactive low, but these outbreaks stay concerning due to the fact that of what could hap successful the future.

The much these viruses dispersed from birds to mammals, the much apt that they volition germinate into strains that tin easy dispersed betwixt mammals successful general, including humans. And with capable atrocious luck, the incorrect strain could prime up the close operation of mutations that would crook it into a fast-spreading, deadly pandemic successful humans. Even extracurricular of this nonstop danger, wide outbreaks among wildlife oregon domesticated animals could inactive origin plentifulness of trouble, arsenic we’re present seeing with the dairy cattle outbreaks successful the U.S.

In May, researchers reported discovering strains of H5N1 circulating among birds visiting and surviving successful New York City. And successful June, wellness officials successful Mexico reported the archetypal known human lawsuit and death from a antithetic vertebrate flu virus, H5N2. Any azygous 1 of these reports oregon outbreaks is improbable to beryllium the large one, but fixed capable time, the worst lawsuit script could surely happen.