Bird flu kills 47 tigers, 3 lions and a panther in Vietnam zoos, state media reports

Forty-seven tigers, three lions and a panther have died in zoos in south Vietnam due to the H5N1 bird flu virus, state media said Wednesday.

The deaths occurred in August and September at the private My Quynh safari park in Long An province and the Vuon Xoai zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City, the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.

According to test results from the National Centre for Animal Health Diagnosis, the animals died "because of H5N1 type A virus," VNA said.