Adequate measures taken over monkey deaths: Govt

Culture, sports and tourism minister Kevin Yeung said the government has taken sufficient preventive measures at the Zoological and Botanical Gardens on news of the death of a tenth monkey there.The latest death involves a common squirrel monkey, which had been put under isolated surveillance since nine other animals died about a week ago.Officials said a necropsy will be conducted to find out the cause of death.Two other animals, a common squirrel monkey and a De Brazza's Monkey, are in isolation.Speaking to reporters after attending a radio programme on Sunday, Yeung said there are no abnormalities among some 70 monkeys at the zoo in Central."Because of the latest death, the relevant departments have held another meeting and we visited the gardens. Overall, we think [the preventive measures] in place are sufficient, and we'll continue with this plan," he said."There are still two other monkeys in isolation, and we'll take care of them. We know their condition may go up and down, sometimes they're better and sometimes worse. If there's anything new we'll definitely update the public."On Friday, the government said the nine monkeys died of sepsis after catching melioidosis, potentially because workers dug up soil near their habitat.Autopsies found a large amount of the melioidosis-inducing bacteria in the monkeys' organs.Officials added that the bacteria is unlikely to be transmitted from animals to humans.

Culture, sports and tourism minister Kevin Yeung said the government has taken sufficient preventive measures at the Zoological and Botanical Gardens on news of the death of a tenth monkey there. The latest death involves a common squirrel monkey, which had been put under isolated surveillance since nine other animals died about a week ago. Officials said a necropsy will be conducted to find out the cause of death.

Two other animals, a common squirrel monkey and a De Brazza's Monkey, are in isolation. Speaking to reporters after attending a radio programme on Sunday, Yeung said there are no abnormalities among some 70 monkeys at the zoo in Central. "Because of the latest death, the relevant departments have held another meeting and we visited the gardens.

Overall, we think [the preventive measures] in place are sufficient, and we'll continue with this plan," he said. "There are still two other monkeys in isolation, and we'll take care of them. We know their condition may go up and down, sometimes they're better and sometimes worse.

If there's anything new we'll definitely update the public." On Friday, the government said the nine monkeys died of sepsis after catching melioidosis, potentially because workers dug up soil near their habitat. Autopsies found a large amount of the melioidosis-inducing bacteria in the monkeys' organs.

Officials added that the bacteria is unlikely to be transmitted from animals to humans..