Zoos across India put on high alert after tiger tests positive for COVID-19 in US

Central Zoo Authority (CZA) on Monday asked all zoos across country to be on high alert and collect samples fortnightly in suspected cases after a tiger at a US zoo tested positive for coronavirus.

In a letter to all states and Union territories, CZA Member Secretary S P Yav said United States Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed COVID-19 in a tiger at Bronx Zoo in New York.

"Zoos in country are, refore, vised to remain on highest alertness, and monitor animals 24X7 using CCTVs for any abrmal behaviour or symptoms," it said.

authority said mammals, especially cats, ferrets and primates, need to be carefully monitored and fortnightly samples of suspected cases be sent to designated animal health institutes for COVID-19 testing.

samples can be sent to National Institute of High Security Animal Disease in Bhopal, National Research Centre on Equines in Haryana's Hisar and Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly, Uttar Presh, letter said.

"Sick animals should be isolated and quarantined," it ded.

keeper or handler should be allowed in vicinity of animals without safety gear, preferably personal protective equipment (PPE). y should have least contact with animals while providing m feed, it said.

Zoos have been asked to follow all bio-containment and safety measures required to handle high-risk pathogen as per national/ICMR guidelines, letter said.

"Zoos are vised to coordinate with designated dal ncies of government for public health response and permit screening, testing and surveillance as and when required by dal ncy," CZA ded.

A four-year-old Malayan tiger at Bronx Zoo in New York has tested positive for coronavirus infection.

female tiger, named Nia, is believed to be first kwn case of an animal infected with COVID-19 in US. It is suspected that she contracted virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at that time.