India: Over 200 bats found dead in a Bihar village, doctors collect their swabs for testing

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india...j7cpFmUyJ.html

Over 200 bats found dead in a Bihar village, doctors collect their swabs for testing
Locals first noticed that bats have died en masse following which the animal husbandry department was alerted.
india Updated: May 26, 2020 21:30 IST
Prashant Ranjan | Edited by Abhinav Sahay

A team of doctors from Bihar government’s animal husbandry department on Tuesday confirmed reports of mass death of bats near Ara in Bhojpur district. The swab samples of the dead birds are being sent to Patna for testing and doctors said any reason for their death could only be attributed after the test reports are obtained.

The team of doctors visited Tarari, 55 km south from Bhojpur district headquarter of Ara after getting information about the death of hundreds of bats there.

As per locals, a large number of bats were found dead in Tarari on Monday, following which the animal husbandry department was informed. The district animal husbandry officer Dr Sidh Nath Rai said that the team of six doctors who visited the incident site on Tuesday reported about the death of around 200 bats there.

He said that the swab samples of dead bats have been taken and it will be sent to the Institute of Animal Health and Production situated in Patna for testing...

[Emily]

I'm afraid that some of the deaths could be poisonings.

https://thefederal.com/states/north/bihar/amid-corona-bihar-hit-by-bird-animal-deaths-triggers-health-scare/

Not only crows, but even dozens of bats have died in Patna and Nawad districts of Bihar. Witnesses said around 40 bats were found dead in Hisua areas of Nawada district on Wednesday.

Scared villagers later called up the local BDO and intimated about the situation. Apart from birds, several dogs too have been found dead in Sheikhpura and Muzaffarpur districts of Bihar in the past one week.