Vet claims deer deaths in IIT Madras 'not due to anthrax'

A veterinary doctor at Guindy national park said that the samples taken from the dead deer have tested negative for anthrax.

Chennai: A veterinary expert on Sunday claimed that Anthrax was not the cause of death of four deer on IIT Madras campus recently. On March 18, four deer were found dead on the IIT in two days. It was speculated that the deer might have been infected with Anthrax even as officials said that three of the sample test reports were "inconclusive".

A veterinary doctor at Guindy national park said that the samples taken from the dead deer have "tested negative" for Anthrax. He asked people not to panic as it was said that the disease could be transmitted to humans. Pertinently, after the deer deaths, the Tamil Nadu Veterinary Medical University advised people to follow safety measures even as a team of nine experts was assigned the task to monitor the wildlife in the area for any symptoms round-the-clock for immediate intervention.