MORE LIONS TEST POSITIVE FOR VIRUS

MUMBAI — At least 21 more Asiatic lions, an endangered species found only in India, have tested positive for a highly contagious virus that has been blamed for recent lion deaths.

Tests on samples of 27 Asiatic lions living at the Gir sanctuary in western India showed 21 of them were positive for the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said in a note dated Tuesday. It was posted on the agency’s website on Wednesday.

This follows earlier tests that revealed at least five of 23 lion deaths at Gir over the past three weeks were due to the virus.

“This indicates active disease transmission among the Gir lions,” the ICMR said. —