Bird Flu Archives

Bird Flu Outbreak Leads to Death of 47 Tigers in Vietnam Zoos

3Oct

By Tahreem AkramNo Comments

Global, Health

Bird Flu Outbreak Leads to Death of 47 Tigers in Vietnam Zoos

A recent bird flu outbreak killed 47 tigers, three lions, and a panther in zoos in southern Vietnam. The animals died between August and September at My Quynh Safari Park in Long An province and Vuon Xoai Zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City. The National Centre for Animal Health Diagnosis confirmed that the H5N1 bird flu virus caused the deaths, as reported by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA). Tests identified the H5N1 virus in the affected animals, but the zoos involved have not commented on the situation. Fortunately, none of the zoo staff members in close contact with the infected animals showed any respiratory symptoms. According to Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), a wildlife conservation NGO, Vietnam had 385 tigers in captivity in 2023, with around 310 kept in private facili...

US Grants Moderna $176 Million to Develop Bird Flu Vaccine

The U.S. government has awarded Moderna $176 million to develop a vaccine for bird flu. This funding is intended to support the research and development needed to create a vaccine that can effectively fight avian influenza. Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a viral infection that primarily affects birds but can occasionally infect humans. Recently, there has been an outbreak of bird flu, specifically the H5N1 strain, which has infected at least 132 dairy cow herds across 12 states in the U.S. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links three human cases to exposure to sick cows. The virus was first detected in cows on March 25, as reported in late June. To address this outbreak, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that funding wil...

Cows Infected with Bird Flu Died in Five US States

Bird flu has caused death of cows in five U.S. states, as reported by state officials and academics. Affected states are South Dakota, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, and Colorado. This news highlights that bird flu, usually associated with poultry, can also infect and seriously harm cows, leading farmers to unexpected financial losses. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stated that while some have died from bird flu, most recover from the virus. However, exact number of cows that have died or been culled in these states remains unclear. Since late March, this flu has affected dairy cows in over 80 herds across ten states. Secondary infections developed after it weakened the immune systems of some cows, leading to their death. Farmers culled other that failed to recover from the virus...