Zebra virus kills polar bear in German zoo
The death of a polar bear at the Zoological Gardens in Wuppertal, Germany, has been traced back to the zebra house, say scientists. They warn viruses spreading to unexpected host may threaten the conservation efforts of zoos.
Zoos have been warned to be alert for viruses which are able to jump from one species of animal to another, threatening endangered species. Most pathogens are adapted to one host, but some can leap the species barrier; for example, flu is thought to have moved between pigs, birds and humans during its evolution.
The mystery illness, which killed one polar bear and infected another at the zoo in Germany, has been researched by an international team who carried out DNA detective work to find the cause. The two bears contracted the brain infection encephalitis, suffering seizures and frothing at the mouth.
The team, who were led by the Leibinz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Reseach (IZW) in Berlin, extracted DNA and RNA from a brain sample of the dead bear to discover which of many possible viruses caused the illness. Gene sequencing suggested the culprit was a strain of the herpes virus normally found in zebras.
Professor Alex Greenwood of the IZW, lead author of the study, commented: "One of the missions of zoos is conservation of animals and species-jumping viruses like the one in this study suggest that mission can be threatened if they are undetected."
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
