Thai Officials Say 72 Tigers At Tourist Parks Died Of Canine Distemper, Allaying Bird Flu Fears

BANGKOK — The deaths of 72 tigers successful 2 animal parks for visitors successful bluish Thailand shouldn’t beryllium a awesome interest for nan public, officials said Tuesday, because they were caused by a microorganism not known to impact humans, alternatively than vertebrate flu.

No 1 has shown immoderate symptoms truthful far, but authorities were nevertheless monitoring nan wellness of group who had precocious travel into interaction pinch nan animals.

“There has not been an animal-to-human infection case,” Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said astatine a news convention astatine Government House successful Bangkok.

The tigers successful nan parks successful Mae Taeng and Mae Rim districts successful Chiang Mai state became sick and died during a astir 10-day play betwixt Feb. 8-18.

On Friday, nan Chiang Mai location livestock agency announced successful a connection that autopsies of nan animals recovered familial worldly of canine distemper virus, aliases CDV, and traces of bacterial infection, but nary avian influenza type A virus, besides known arsenic vertebrate flu.

“If we observe immoderate sick persons, we will hole for a nationwide monitoring measure,” said Monthien Khanasawat, director-general of nan Public Health Ministry’s Disease Control Department. “This will see interaction tracing and curen arsenic necessary.”

Monthien said astatine nan news convention successful an evident effort to reassure nan nationalist that nan tigers’ deaths didn’t travel from vertebrate flu, which has been resurgent successful parts of Asia. Thailand saw 17 deaths among 25 infected patients from poultry-caused influenza from 2004 to 2007, according to nan Public Health Ministry.

CDV, infectious for some dogs and felines, tin origin stronger symptoms successful cats and tigers and tin beryllium dispersed done bodily fluids and air. Thai authorities said that tigers successful confined environments, and which are already affected by accent and inbreeding conditions, could beryllium peculiarly susceptible to nan viral infection.

The remains of nan tigers went done necropsies earlier being cremated and buried. The carcasses were decently disinfected, photographed and discarded to forestall immoderate further use, Livestock Development Department Director-General Somchuan Rattanamangklanan said astatine nan news conference.

But Visit Arsaithamkul, a veterinarian who took portion successful nan tiger necropsies, expressed interest that nan origins of nan infections remained unclear without further investigation. In a Facebook post, he said that he suspected that arsenic nan 2 parks were located conscionable 18 miles apart, nan origin of infection could beryllium nutrient nan tigers were fed that came from nan aforesaid source.

He declined to elaborate erstwhile contacted by The Associated Press. Both parks, tally nether nan sanction of Tiger Kingdom, stay closed. The operators didn’t instantly respond erstwhile asked for comment.

Thai authorities are still alert for nan threat of a vertebrate flu outbreak. Monthien, nan Public Health Ministry director, urged Thais to beryllium observant pinch their depletion of poultry aft a man successful a neighboring state that he didn’t sanction was recovered infected pinch vertebrate flu.

The first animal-to-human transmission of vertebrate flu was discovered successful Hong Kong successful 1997 earlier a pandemic started spreading successful Asia successful 2003. In Thailand, tens of millions of poultry were exterminated and depletion plunged successful fearfulness of getting infected.

Audjarint writes for nan Associated Press.