Overview
- The Indian Veterinary Research Institute’s autopsy identified encephalomyocarditis virus as the cause, with heart lesions and haemorrhages observed.
- Other suspected causes, including chronic heart disease, tuberculosis, foot-and-mouth disease and anthrax, were ruled out after repeated tests.
- Officials describe EMCV as a rare pathogen in zoos that is transmitted by rodents through contaminated food or water or contact with carcasses.
- The disease can cause sudden death with little or no warning and there is currently no vaccine, complicating detection and prevention in open enclosures.
- Zoo authorities note this as the first such case reported from an Indian zoo, while the probe also reviews biosecurity and husbandry practices after years of the animal’s isolation.