ICH Virus | 26 Mar 2022

Why in News?

• Recently, three bears died of Infectious Canine Hepatitis (ICH) virus at Kanan Pendari Zoological Park in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh, threatening 632 other zoo animals with ICH.

Key Points

• Zoo management said that two male bears and one female bear Kavita have died in the last 26 days due to ICH infection. Kavita was in contact with two dead bears who had died earlier.
• Vishnu Nair, DFO of Kanan Pendari, said that it cannot be said from where the ICH infection spread among the bears. It spreads only in canine species. Virus infection has not been shown in other organisms.
• Ilairaja, a wildlife expert and Bear Rescue Center based in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, told that these can be symptoms of Infectious Canine Hepatitis. It is a viral disease. Once this infection occurs, there is no cure for it. Bears can be saved only by keeping them in isolation like corona.