Five animals, including a cheetah and a mountain lion, die from bird flu at Arizona zoo

At least five animals, including a cheetah and a mountain lion, have died from bird flu at a zoo in Arizona, according to health officials. A white tiger also tested positive for the virus.

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) confirmed on Wednesday that a small number of animals at the Wildlife World Zoo near Phoenix, Arizona, were likely infected with H5N1 avian flu.

“The Wildlife World Zoo identified ill animals and brought them into the Arizona Department of Agriculture to conduct testing,” said the MCDPH statement. “Test results indicated that these animals were likely ill from H5N1 avian flu, which was first seen in wild birds in the United States in 2015.”

The statement added that “MCDPH is working with the zoo to identify and contact staff and volunteers who are considered to be at higher risk from close, prolonged contact with the infected animals.” They also said that “people who have job-related exposures to infected animals, especially close prolonged exposure, are at higher risk of infection.”

The zoo animals that died include a cheetah, a mountain lion, a swamphen, an Indian goose, and a Kookaburra, according to KSAZ. A white tiger has also tested positive and is responding well to treatment.

Arizona reported its first two human cases of H5N1 on Friday, which are part of a broader pattern of H5N1 infections among poultry and dairy workers in the United States. Over 60 cases have been reported across eight states this year, with the majority occurring in California.