NTCA alerts as US tiger tests Covid-19 positive, MP worry over Pench tiger's death

P Naveen | TNN | Updated: Apr 6, 2020, 13:23 IST

BHOPAL: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has on Monday issued alert and a detailed advisory to chief wildlife warden of Madhya Pradesh and all other states citing worry over a reports revealing Covid-19 infection in captive tigers US leaving state forest department worried over reasons behind death of a tiger inside Pench tiger reserve with severe lung infection and respiratory problems on April 5. Mystery shrouds type of virus that killed the 10-year-old Pench tiger, said sources.
Sample collected from Pench tiger is now been sent for further analysis, which otherwise was put on hold due to lockdown.
“Now that a tiger in US has been found positive for Covid-19 we are working out on a strategy to send samples of our tiger for further analysis,” said a senior officer wishing not to be quoted. He confirmed that NTCA and CZA has issued fresh guidelines.
Two separate advisories have been issued – first from the Dr Vaibhav C Mathur, AIG NTCA and the other one from Dr S P Yadav, member secretary CZA.
In the letter titled “Incident of Covid-19 in captive tiger” officers have quoted reports of world’s first positive case of Coronavirus among tiger at Bronx April 5, 2020”.
“Reference is invited to the subject and article cited above. In this context, I am directed to inform that owing to the communicable and zoonotic nature of the said disease, following actions need to be taken to avert the disease in wild tigers in India” Dr Mathur wrote (copy in TOI’s possession)
NTCA’s advisory for tiger states includes :
Tigers may be observed for symptoms consistent with Covid-19 such as respiratory signs of nasal discharge, coughing and laboured breathing through direct observation to the extent possible besides through camera trap images for visible symptoms
It should be ensured that personnel handling tigers in human-tiger negative interactions and translocation operations be ascertained to be Corona virus negative. They should take due precaution as advised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI from time to time. (https://www.mohfw.gov.in)
Diligence needs to be exercised while handling post mortem cases to record location, age and sex of the animal while collecting samples for Corona virus diagnosis in consultation with the State Veterinary officials while safeguarding oneself through appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
As Coronaviruses are known to affect gastrointestinal system in felines, requisite correlation may be made for characterizing the virus type in consultation with the State Veterinary Department
Differential diagnosis with feline infectious rhino-tracheitis needs to be made as similar respiratory symptoms may be observed
For Covid-19 diagnosis as well as differential diagnoses and characterization as highlighted above, samples may be sent to ICAR approved laboratories as per enclosure.
It is hence, requested to gear up front line staff as well as Veterinary officials engaged in monitoring tiger mortality in areas under your jurisdiction to detect the disease and prevent any spread in tigers in the wild. Being a notifiable disease, any positive case needs to be reported immediately to the NTCA for onward transmission to Authorities concerned.