Dozens of tigers have died in zoos in south Vietnam after a bird flu outbreak, according to state media.
Three lions and a panther were also reported to have died of the virus alongside 47 tigers since August and September.
Here’s what we know.
Where did the deaths occur?
At the private My Quynh safari park in Long An province and the Vuon Xoai zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City, the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
How did bird flu spread to the tigers?
According to test results from the National Centre for Animal Health Diagnosis, the animals died “because of H5N1 type A virus”, VNA said.
An official at Dong Nai province’s Centre for Disease Control Phan Van Phuc said the tigers at Vuon Xoai zoo had been fed chicken before they died.
“It’s likely that the tigers had been infected from sick chicken, and the authorities are tracking the source of the chicken to determine the cause,” Phac said in a statement.
Advice on the World Health Organization (WHO) website warns against consuming raw or undercooked meat and eggs from regions experiencing bird flu outbreaks due to the high risk of infection.
Have any zoo handlers had symptoms?
No zoo staff members in close contact with the animals have experienced respiratory symptoms, the Centre for Disease Control said in a statement.
“A total of 30 people have come into contact with the dead tigers.
“Currently, these people are in normal health, no-one has been recorded with symptoms of respiratory infection.”
Vietnam however did record its first human fatality from the virus earlier this year.
What is bird flu?
Avian influenza, or bird flu, is caused by various strains of influenza A viruses, NSW Health says.
Some strains cause no or mild disease in wild birds while others can cause severe disease in poultry, like chickens.
Certain strains can infect mammals including seals, livestock, and occasionally humans.
Has Australia reported cases of the H5N1 strain?
Not yet.
But experts warn the strain is likely to arrive sometime this spring.
H5N1 is the deadliest strain of bird flu and is currently wreaking havoc around the globe, causing outbreaks on every continental land mass.
A variant of H5N1, named clade 2.3.4.4b, has killed around 2 billion chickens since 2020.
The H5N1 strain can cause serious infections and deaths in humans.
ABC/Reuters/AFP
