First instance of severe MCF virus detected in Pune
Pune, Aug. 12 -- The genome of the Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) virus, which records high fatality rates, was detected in a wild animal at the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Pune, in a first for India. The finding was confirmed by the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, on July 29, following tests on specimens sent by the Western Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WRDDL), Pune. While harmless to humans, MCF poses a major threat to wildlife conservation and livestock health.
Between July 6 and 12 this year, 16 spotted deer at the zoo died in a highly contagious viral outbreak. Samples from the dead animals were sent to multiple laboratories for diagnosis. On July 24, reports from the ICAR-National Institute on Foot and Mouth Disease (Bhubaneswar) and NIHSAD confirmed foot and mouth disease. However, a separate NIHSAD report on July 29 confirmed the presence of the MCF genome in one of the samples. Following this, the Union government issued an advisory to authorities....
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