Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – The Livestock Department of the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives issued a statement on February 21 regarding the mass tiger deaths in Chiang Mai, stating that 72 Bengal tigers died between February 8 and 18, including 21 at the Mae Rin Park and 51 at the Mae Thanh Park.
The statement said that the Livestock Department, together with the Chiang Mai Provincial Livestock Department, had been on-site since February 13 to conduct pathological sampling and laboratory testing. Test results showed no presence of influenza A virus genes, ruling out the possibility of avian influenza infection.
Further testing confirmed that the mass tiger deaths were primarily caused by a co-infection of canine distemper virus and mycoplasma bacteria.
The official explanation is that canine distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that can be transmitted through direct contact with secretions and airborne transmission, causing severe damage to the respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems of animals; mycoplasma bacteria are transmitted through ticks, fleas, and barn flies, and can cause hemolytic anemia and destroy red blood cells. In captivity, animals are under constant stress, compounded by sudden climate changes and other stressors, leading to a combination of viral and bacterial infections, causing rapid deterioration of their condition and a significantly increased risk of death.
The Livestock Department emphasized that the aforementioned diseases are not zoonotic and will not be transmitted from animals to humans. All staff members at the parks have completed health checks, and the results were all normal.
Song Chuan, Director of the Livestock Department, stated that the relevant parks have been ordered to implement strict prevention and control measures, including thorough cleaning and disinfection of animal enclosures, isolation of sick individuals from healthy individuals, and the development of a vaccination plan for the tigers to reduce the risk of further transmission.
As of now, the number of Bengal tigers at the two parks in Chiang Mai is 44 at the Mae Rim Park and 130 at the Mae Thanh Park. (End)
