State media reports from Wednesday said the H5N1 bird flu virus killed 47 tigers, three lions, and a panther in two zoos in South Vietnam. The incidents occurred in August and September at My Quynh Safari Park in Long An Province and Vuon Xoai Zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City. According to the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the cause was identified as the H5N1 virus, following test results from the National Centre for Animal Health Diagnosis.
In fact, the ongoing outbreak has sounded alarms over the growing threat of the H5N1 virus, at the present time yet within headlines all over the globe. The staff members of the zoos have not demonstrated any symptoms and signs of respiratory problems, though the zoos have not commented on the matter.
To date, the virus kills many mammals. Starting last year 2022, WHO warned that the number of outbreaks among mammals is increasing. A H5N1 can infect humans, and it may vary from mild to severe while, in some, it can be a deadly case. In March, Vietnam was already reporting a human death due to H5N1 to WHO, and its threat continues over both animals and humans.
Vietnam has a total of 385 captive tigers, and by the latest count from Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), most of the animals, numbering 310, are kept in privately owned zoos or farms, and others in public facilities. The episode reminds one of another way back in 2004 when dozens of tigers died from avian flu or were slaughtered at the largest Thai tiger breeding facility.
This, however has made conservationists and health authorities very concerned, since the virus may potentially be able to ‘jump’ from animals to humans, hence posing a broader threat to public health. The WHO remains vigilant over the spread of H5N1, especially its effects on world health.
