theguardian.com, Monday 13 January 2014
 
India is scrambling to protect its beleaguered tiger population after several big cats tested positive for a virus common among dogs but deadly to other carnivores. 

In the past year canine distemper virus has killed at least four tigers and several other animals across northern and eastern India, according to Rajesh Gopal, of the government's National Tiger Conservation Authority. He said tests for the virus would be carried out on every tiger carcass, and officials were considering a campaign to vaccinate dogs against canine distemper.

"We cannot vaccinate every dog, of course. But even 50% of dogs in the zones around sanctuaries would help," Gopal said. He did not give details of the plans being considered. There is no vaccine for big cats.

Dr AK Sharma, head scientist at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, which performed the canine distemper lab tests, said: "These are very disturbing finds. The cases were quite distant from each other, and the latest was an area where there are no dogs. So it appears the virus is spreading." Since two cubs tested positive in a zoo in Patna, the Bihar state capital, Sharma and his colleagues have found at least four more cases: a red panda in the north-east state of Manipur, a wild tiger in West Bengal, a zoo lion in Darjeeling and, last month, a wild tiger in the Dudhwa tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh.

"In the last case, forest guards said they saw the animal in a confused state before it died," he said.

Experts said there were probably more undetected cases, since testing for canine distemper has not been routine and few animals that die in the wild are ever found.

Canine distemper virus, a close relative of measles, is associated mostly with domestic dogs, though it has infected and ravaged other carnivore populations..

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