NEW DELHI, KOMPAS.com – Eight lions tested positive for Covid-19 in an indian zoo. The findings are believed to be the first cases of this type of animal infection in the country.
Office at Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) has reportedly decided to carry out a Covid-19 test on lion Asia.
Also read: [POPULER GLOBAL] Big Problem in Covid-19 India | Trump’s New Social Media
Testing was conducted after veterinarians working at the zoo noticed that the animal had viral symptoms, including loss of appetite and coughing.
A sample of eight lions tested using RT-PCR, showed positive results for the coronavirus, according to The Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
To be exact, four males and four females, out of a total of 12 lions in the 40-hectare safari area, tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Times of India.
NZP curators and directors did not confirm or deny the news. They claim they have not received the RT-PCR report.
“It is true that the lion is showing symptoms of Covid but I have not received the RT-PCR report from CCMB and therefore it is not appropriate to comment. The lions are fine, ”said Dr Siddhanand Kukrety Daily Mail on Wednesday (5/5/2021).
Meanwhile, Subhadra Devi, Curator of NZP, added: “When we saw symptoms of discharge from the nose of the lion housed in the Lion Safari enclosure, we decided to immediately send a sample to test for possible virus infection.”
Also read: Two Positive Covid-19, Indian Delegation at the UK G-7 Summit Isolation of Self-isolation
According to S Kukrety, APCCF and Zoo Director, Telangana, the lion has now been isolated from other animals in the zoo.
“They receive the appropriate care and care as needed. They also respond well to treatment and recovery. “
According to the Daily Mail source, veterinarians were advised to take samples from the lions after management was informed of the symptoms, which were then sent to CCMB in Hyderabad for testing.
Field veterinarians take samples from the oropharyngeal (middle part of the pharynx at the back of the mouth), which are then given to the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species at the CSIR-Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (LaCONES-CCMB).
The genome of a Covid-19 sample from a lion was analyzed and the results are believed to be not the type of variant that is of much concern, according to a CCMB statement.
Other infections
Dr Karthikeyan Vasudevan, responsible scientist at LaCONES-CCMB, said: “Since the pandemic started, many zoos and farms have reported that animals have been infected from humans.
“It is very important to strictly follow the safety regulations in Indian zoos at this time, to avoid passing the infection to the animals.”
“We have to be careful when documenting the symptoms caused by coronavirus infection in animals, as well as developing non-invasive ways to get samples from animals.”
“Getting swab samples from animals is very difficult,” he explained.
Also read: A Covid-19 Positive Baby in India Dies After Being Abandoned by Parents Who Fear Of Infection
Although the lion coronavirus case is believed to be the first of its kind in India, other zoos and national parks have seen rare cases of the animal contracting the virus.
In December, four lions at the Barcelona Zoo tested positive for Covid-19. This is recorded as the third known case of this “big cat” breed.
Three females named Zala, Nima and Run Run and Kiumbe, a man, were tested after guards saw them showing slight symptoms of the coronavirus.
Two staff at the zoo also tested positive for the coronavirus, according to animal authorities, after the outbreak was first detected a month earlier.
The Veterinary Service of Barcelona has contacted colleagues at the Bronx Zoo in New York, where four tigers and three lions tested positive for Covid-19 in April last year.
In at least one other case involving this “big cat” breed, one tiger tested positive for the virus and two more tested positive after briefly showing symptoms at the Knoxville Zoo in the US state of Tennessee in October.
“The zoo has contacted and collaborated with international experts such as the Animal Service of the Bronx Zoo, who have documented cases of Sars-CoV-2 infection in the same type of animal,” Barcelona zoo said in a statement.
Also read: 4 Lions at Barcelona Zoo Test Positive for Corona Virus
– .
