12th monkey kept at Hong Kong zoo dies, as gov’t confirms deaths of 11 others a result of melioidosis infection
Hong Kong Free Press
A 12th monkey kept at a zoological garden in central Hong Kong has died, with a necropsy underway to determine whether it succumbed to the same bacterial infection that killed 11 monkeys from the same zoo.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), which manages the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens where the primates were kept, announced that a De Brazza’s monkey had died on Tuesday.
The animal had been under surveillance and in isolation on October 13, when an initial eight monkeys were found dead. It is the 12th monkey kept at the zoological garden to die since then.
In its statement on Tuesday night, the LCSD confirmed that “the cause of death of the 11 animals [which died] earlier is sepsis induced by bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei.”
It added: “Similar lesions were also found in the tissues of relevant organs of the 12th monkey that died today. Pathological diagnosis and testing are in progress.”
Burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis, an infectious disease that affects animals and humans, and spreads primarily through contact with contaminated soil, air, or water. According to the Centre for Health Protection, “melioidosis is an endemic disease in Hong Kong and melioidosis cases have been recorded in Hong Kong each year.”
Michael Rivera, a biological anthropologist at the University of Hong Kong, told HKFP by email last Friday that cases of fatal melioidosis infections in animals had been reported around the world, with recent cases including two captive orangutans in Malaysia in 2022, and one cynomolgus macaque from Cambodia being transported to the US, also in 2022.
“The occurrence of this infection is common in Southeast Asia, but both infections and deaths are more common among captive primates,” Rivera said.
“This is because captive primates may have weakened immune response[s] due to the stresses of confinement, less of their natural social stimulus, and the lack of a natural environment,” he added.
During a press conference to announce the findings of the necropsies of the first nine monkeys, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung last Friday said experts suspected the melioidosis infection was due to digging work in the garden in early October.
Staff caring for the monkeys may have accidentally transferred contaminated soil to the primates cages on their shoes, he said, adding that the disease could also have been transmitted among the monkeys.
The mammal section of the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens remained closed on Wednesday “to closely monitor the health conditions of the animals,” the LCSD said, adding that the remaining 78 mammals, and the staff who cared for them, were displaying “normal” health conditions.
“The LCSD will also continue to provide protective gear and health monitoring for staff who take care of animals.”
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