Vietnam’s Ministry of Health said two samples taken from the dead tiger tested positive for avian flu, and officials were “tracing the source of the chicken to determine the cause.”
The zoo declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
The World Health Organization (WHO) website warns against eating raw or undercooked meat and eggs from areas where avian influenza is endemic due to the high risk of infection.
The H5N1 virus variant primarily infects animals, and WHO says nearly all cases of human infection are caused by close contact with infected live or dead birds or contaminated environments.
Since 2022, fatal outbreaks in mammals have been reported due to influenza viruses, including H5N1.
Nearly 900 human infections have been reported since 2003, more than half of which were fatal.
