A recent spate of monkey deaths at a Hong Kong zoo warrants a review of biosecurity protocols by an external organisation and soil surveillance for bacteria linked to the fatalities, animal health and microbiology experts have said.
Advertisement
The calls from the experts followed 11 monkeys dying at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, which was hit by an outbreak of melioidosis.
“I would suggest that [the zoo] asks an external organisation to perform a comprehensive review of biosecurity protocols that involves structured scientific risk assessments,” said Dirk Pfeiffer, chair professor of One Health at City University’s veterinary school.
“It is useful for people to look at it and ask questions … without the ‘normal’ biases resulting from working there.”
The government on Friday said nine of the monkeys died from sepsis caused by melioidosis, a disease that can affect both people and animals.
Advertisement
Officials said digging during pipe-repair work in early October in a nearby flower bed area might have caused contaminated soil to be exposed to the environment.