Bacterial Infection Causes Death of Nine Monkeys at Hong Kong Zoo

Officials link the deaths to melioidosis, potentially contracted from recent soil disturbance near the enclosures.

Nine monkeys at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens died from melioidosis, a bacterial infection, over two days.
The infection likely resulted from recent digging to repair irrigation pipes near the monkeys' enclosures.
Melioidosis is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, commonly found in contaminated soil and water.
The deceased included critically endangered cotton-top tamarins, De Brazza's monkeys, white-faced sakis, and a common squirrel monkey.
Officials assure the public that the risk of the infection spreading to humans is low and confined to a single zone in the zoo.