The deaths of 72 tigers in two animal parks for vacationers in northern Thailand shouldn’t be a serious concern for the general public, officers stated Tuesday, as a result of they have been brought on by a virus not identified to have an effect on people, quite than fowl flu.
Nobody has proven any signs thus far, however authorities have been nonetheless monitoring the well being of people that had just lately come into contact with the animals.
The tigers within the parks in Mae Taeng and Mae Rim districts in Chiang Mai province turned sick and died throughout a roughly 10-day interval between Feb. 8-18.
On Friday, the Chiang Mai regional livestock workplace introduced in an announcement that autopsies of the animals discovered genetic materials of canine distemper virus, or CDV, and traces of bacterial an infection, however no avian influenza sort A virus, often known as fowl flu.
“If we detect any sick persons, we will prepare for a nationwide monitoring measure,” stated Monthien Khanasawat, director-general of the Public Well being Ministry’s Illness Management Division. “This will include contact tracing and treatment as necessary.”
CDV, infectious for each canine and felines, could cause stronger signs in cats and tigers and might be unfold by way of bodily fluids and air. Thai authorities stated that tigers in confined environments, and that are already affected by stress and inbreeding circumstances, could possibly be significantly susceptible to the viral an infection.
However Go to Arsaithamkul, a veterinarian who took half within the tiger necropsies, expressed concern that the origins of the infections remained unclear with out additional investigation. In a Fb publish, he stated that he suspected that as the 2 parks have been positioned simply 30 kilometers (18 miles) aside, the reason for an infection could possibly be meals the tigers have been fed that got here from the identical supply.
He declined to elaborate when contacted by The Related Press. Each parks, run beneath the identify of Tiger Kingdom, stay closed. The operators didn’t instantly reply when requested for remark.
Thai authorities are nonetheless alert for the specter of a fowl flu outbreak. Monthien, the Public Well being Ministry director, urged Thais to watch out with their consumption of poultry after a person in a neighboring nation that he didn’t identify was discovered contaminated with fowl flu.
The primary animal-to-human transmission of fowl flu was found in Hong Kong in 1997 earlier than a pandemic began spreading in Asia in 2003. In Thailand, tens of hundreds of thousands of poultry have been exterminated and consumption plunged in concern of getting contaminated.
