Monkey deaths in Hong Kong zoo linked to soil bacteria
Nine monkeys in Hong Kongs oldest zoo died from melioidosis‚ a soil-borne disease. Officials link the deaths to recent digging work near the cages‚ reassuring the public that the risk to humans is low
In a sad turn of events‚ nine monkeys passed away at Hong Kongs oldest zoo roughly four days ago. Kevin Yeung the Secretary for Culture Sports and Tourism‚ shared this news during a press briefing. The animals‚ housed in the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens contracted melioidosis — a disease caused by soil bacteria — which led to sepsis
The deceased primates included a De Brazzas monkey‚ a common squirrel monkey four white-faced sakis‚ and three cotton-top tamarins (the last being critically endangered). Another De Brazzas monkey showed unusual behavior but its condition was stable as of 10/18/2024
Officials believe the infections might be connected to digging work done to fix irrigation pipes near the monkey cages about two weeks ago. Yeung explained “The incubation period for melioidosis in primates is about a week and this matched with the period after the soil digging work“
Two possible scenarios were proposed:
- Zoo staff unknowingly carried contaminated soil on their shoes into the cages
- Infected monkeys had close contact with others
Edwin Tsui the controller of the Center for Health Protection‚ assured that the incident was isolated and its impact on Hong Kong residents would be minimal. Nevertheless Yeung held an urgent meeting with various departments to address the situation
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens — a rare green space in the bustling Central district — has been fully operational since 1871. Its a testament to the citys history‚ having witnessed Hong Kongs transition from British rule to Chinese governance 27 years ago
