Elephants died of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia(HS) in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary

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6 elephants died of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia(HS) in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is located in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.

Haemorrhagic septicaemia(HS)

• It is a contagious bacterial disease caused by the bacteria Pasteurella multocida.
• In this disease, the respiratory tract and lungs of the animals are affected, leading to severe pneumonia.
• Vulnerable Group: It commonly affects cattle and water buffaloes. The Mortality rate is high in infected animals. There are no reported cases of human infection.
• Transmission: The disease is spread through direct contact with infected animals, through ingestion or inhalation of the bacteria among others.
• Symptoms: Primary symptoms include swishing tails, undigested food in faeces, and reduced milk yield.
• Distribution: The disease occurs mostly in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and most of Africa. In Asia, this disease outbreak is concentrated mostly in areas with climatic conditions typical of monsoon (high humidity and high temperatures).
• Treatment: Treatment is usually effective in the early stage only when fever sets in.

Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Kalahandi district in Odisha. The sanctuary is famous for the lush green dry deciduous forest.
• Fauna: The sanctuary is home to a plethora of wildlife animals such as leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, mouse deer, soft claws ottawa and a wide variety of birds.
• Flora: The sanctuary consists of flora like Sal, Bija, Asan, Harida, Amala, Bahada, and Bamboo and varieties of medicinal plants.
• Waterfalls: There are several small and big waterfalls inside the sanctuary like Phurlijharan, Ghusrigudi, Dumnijhola, Kamalajharan, Koyirupa, Kuang, and Raja Rani.

Source: Indian Express

Issue of cruelty against wild animals in India