47 tigers, three lions, and a panther have died from the H5N1 bird flu virus in zoos across southern Vietnam, state media reported on Wednesday.
The fatal outbreak occurred between August and September at the private My Quynh Safari Park in Long An province and the Vuon Xoai Zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City, according to the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
Tests conducted by the National Centre for Animal Health Diagnosis confirmed that the animals were infected with the H5N1 type A virus. The zoos have declined to comment, according to AFP, while the VNA report noted that no zoo staff members in close contact with the infected animals had exhibited any respiratory symptoms.
Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), a wildlife conservation NGO, said that as of 2023, there were 385 tigers in captivity across Vietnam, with around 310 housed in private facilities and the rest in state-run zoos.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a rising number of deadly outbreaks among mammals caused by the H5N1 virus and other influenza strains since 2022. While the virus has primarily affected birds, it has been known to infect mammals, including humans. Vietnam reported a human fatality from H5N1 in March this year.
In a similar case in 2004, dozens of tigers at the world's largest breeding farm in Thailand died from or were culled due to a bird flu outbreak.
