NAGPUR: Three tigers and a sub-adult leopard died after contracting highly pathogenic avian flu H5N1 virus at Gorewada Rescue Centre on the outskirts of Nagpur. This is the first instance when the virus has taken such a substantial wildlife toll, particularly in captivity, in the country. A red alert has been sounded across Maharashtra’s zoos, rescue and transit centres.
The animals perished last week and their samples were sent to ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NISHAD), Bhopal, which verified the presence of H5N1 virus on January 1.
Gorewada project divisional manager SS Bhagwat confirmed to TOI that the big cats perished due to avian flu. These animals were shifted to the rescue centre from Chandrapur after human-wildlife conflict incidents in December. They started showing symptoms of suffering from avian flu virus within a week, he said.
Containment protocols were promptly implemented after the incident and enclosures housing the big cats were thoroughly disinfected and treated with fire blowers. An additional 26 leopards and 12 tigers have been examined and declared healthy, Bhagwat said.
“It remains a closed-for-visitors facility. Employees and caretakers have undergone screening and there is no cause for concern. Animal keepers are using PPE kits,” he said.
Instances of cross-infection of zoonotic disease among humans remain infrequent. Avian influenza primarily affects birds, but certain strains (H5N1, H5N8) have demonstrated capability to infect mammals, including large cats (tigers, leopards) and other mammals through contact with infected birds or their contaminated environment, Wildlife Research and Training Centre (WRTC), Gorewada, stated. “Avian influenza outbreaks in wild carnivores have been linked to consumption of infected prey or raw meat,” it said and has issued a comprehensive advisory and action plan for managing H5N1.
The Transit Treatment Centre for birds at Seminary Hills here has established an isolation ward for suspected cases and a dedicated veterinary team would handle such cases. Gorewada International Zoo, situated a kilometre away from the rescue centre, shall remain accessible to public as scheduled.
Govt of India’s department of animal husbandry and dairying has instructed Maharashtra’s chief secretary to implement biosecurity measures to prevent transmission of the disease further. The department has advised the state to isolate affected species, temporarily close such establishments for public, report unusual mortality, intensify surveillance, etc.
“The fatalities reported in tigers/leopards testing positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza raise significant concerns about the rapid spread of the virus. The situation necessitates urgent attention to mitigate risk to both animal and human health,” it stated. Following this, authorities have placed state zoos, rescue and transit centres on red alert.
Bhagwat mentioned that regular surveillance of the 2000 hectare rescue centre is conducted and no unusual avian mortality was observed. On Saturday, the state animal husbandry department team inspected the centre, and a report is pending, regional joint commissioner Satish Raju said. Another team is expected to be dispatched to Chandrapur.
