HONG KONG – A De Brazza’s monkey at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, which had been put under isolation, was found dead on Tuesday, according to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The monkey’s death took the total death toll at the facility to 12 since Oct 13, said the LCSD.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department conducted a necropsy on the animal to ascertain the cause of death.
After analyzing the necropsy, pathological diagnosis and laboratory test results by relevant government departments, the authorities said on Oct 18 that the monkeys had died from sepsis caused by Melioidosis, a disease caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, which can infect both humans and animals.
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“Similar lesions were also found in the tissues of relevant organs of the 12th monkey that died today,” the LCSD said in a statement on Tuesday night, adding that pathological diagnosis and testing were in progress.
The LCSD said it would keep the mammals section closed to monitor the health conditions of the animals.
The health conditions of the 78 mammals at the zoo are normal, it added.
The LCSD will also continue to provide protective gear and health monitoring for staff who take care of animals, it said, adding that the health conditions of the staff concerned are normal.
After eight monkeys were found dead on Oct 13, the authorities arranged for professionals to investigate the cause of the deaths and closed the mammals section of the zoo from the following day for disinfection and cleaning.
Ruling out the possibility of food poisoning, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung assured the public on Oct 18 that there is no need to worry about the spread of the diseases as the diseases will not be transmitted via person-to-person or animal-to-human transmission.
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Humans can become infected through contact with contaminated soil and surface waters, he added.
Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is the city’s oldest park which was opened to the public in 1871. It occupies an area of 5.6 hectares and houses about 158 birds, 93 mammals and 21 reptiles in about 40 enclosures.
