A deadly avian flu strain has taken its toll on wildlife in India in the wake of a growing HMPV (Human Metapneumovirus) virus outbreak in China. The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu virus has caused the death of three tigers and a sub-adult leopard at the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur, the first major incident of its kind in India’s captive wildlife. This alarming development has sounded a red alert across Maharashtra’s zoos, rescue centers, and wildlife transit facilities.
Immediate Containment Measures
The tragic deaths were found last week, and samples were quickly sent to ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for confirmation. Animals were brought in from Chandrapur to Gorewada Rescue Centre after several instances of human-wildlife conflict were reported in December. Just a week after reaching the Gorewada Rescue Centre, the animals began showing the symptoms of the H5N1 avian flu virus.
S.S. Bhagwat, Divisional Manager of the Gorewada project, said fatalities are confirmed and that containment measures are in process. “We have activated strict containment protocols. The enclosures housing the infected animals were disinfected and fire blowers were used to treat the area,” Bhagwat said.
Besides, the facility, that houses 26 leopards and 12 tigers, undertook health checks on all inmates, where every one of them returned negative reports for the virus. Bhagwat said that the center is still closed to visitors, and employees and caretakers are screened regularly. Animal keepers are also using PPE kits to minimize any risk of contamination.
What Are The Risk Of Avian Flu?
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, typically affects birds but certain strains, including H5N1 and H5N8, have been known to infect mammals, particularly big cats. The Gorewada-based Wildlife Research and Training Centre revealed that the virus is transferred directly from the infected bird or by direct contact with a contaminated environment. Here, the viruses may have entered the bodies of tigers and leopards by feeding on the contaminated preys or raw meat.
Although zoonotic transmission cases, where the disease is transmitted from animals to humans, are relatively few, the recent deaths have raised concerns about cross-infection risks. Experts are watching the situation closely as biosecurity measures are in place to avoid further spread.
To address the growing threat, the central department of animal husbandry and dairying has asked the Maharashtra government to initiate strong biosecurity measures in all the wildlife institutions of the state. Authorities are continuously monitoring containment efforts while protecting both the wildlife and the human population from the further proliferation of the fatal H5N1 virus.
HMPV Virus Outbreak In China
Even as the Indian subcontinent struggles with a fresh avian flu outbreak, China is going through its viral trial. HMPV, short for Human Metapneumovirus, which affects children younger than 14, has reported an increasing incidence. Symptoms for this virus are fever, coughing, and breathing difficulty, sometimes progressing to secondary complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
The outbreak has been particularly severe in northern regions of China, though HMPV had also been detected in other parts of the world, including the U.S., Canada, and Europe in previous years.
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