Forty-four tigers, three lions, and one leopard were found dead at two tourist sites in Dong Nai and Long An Provinces, southern Vietnam from suspected avian influenza A(H5N1) infection between August and mid-September.

A representative from Mango Garden Resort in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday that the resort is investigating the deaths of 17 tigers and one leopard that occurred over the past three weeks.

The animals reportedly exhibited symptoms of illness prior to their deaths.

On Monday, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City sent a dispatch to the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health highlighting suspicion of H5N1 infections among wild animals.

The institute had previously been informed of dead tigers and leopards testing positive for the H5N1 virus by the Regional Animal Health Office No. 6 under the Department of Animal Health.

Between August and September 16, My Quynh Safari Park in Duc Hoa District, Long An Province reported the deaths of 27 tigers and three lions.

Among these tigers, three were transported from Mango Garden Resort on September 6, while the rest originated from the safari park. 

They tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

Meanwhile, two of the deceased tigers at Mango Garden Resort are now suspected to die from pneumonia.

In Long An Province, three animal caregivers were identified as having close contact with these tigers, while some 30 employees at the tourist site in Dong Nai were closely exposed to these animals.

Healthcare agencies are cooperating with relevant units to tighten control over the spread of the virus among people.

According to health experts, the H5N1 avian flu virus is often detected in birds and among poultry. 

The virus can be transmitted to people in close contact with infected animals.

Many countries in Southeast Asia annually face H5N1 outbreaks on fur farms.

The virus can cause deaths among infected people at a high rate of some 50 percent. There are no specific vaccines for preventing influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in humans.

Since late 2023, the world has recorded several waves of H5N1 outbreaks in most regions, according to the General Department of Preventive Medicine.

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