A twelfth monkey died at a Hong Kong zoo, with tests underway to determine if it succumbed to the same bacterial infection that killed 11 other monkeys in the past 10 days.
The De Brazza’s monkey had been isolated since 13 October when the first eight deaths were reported.
Autopsies have found a large amount of sepsis-inducing bacteria that likely came from contaminated soil near the primates’ enclosures, authorities said.
Workers who were digging up soil near the cages were believed to have brought in contaminated soil through their shoes, Hong Kong’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Secretary told local broadcaster RTHK.
