Jamshedpur: The heartrending death of a seven-month-old tiger cub has prompted Tata Steel Zoological Park to embark on a battle against a deadly vector-borne disease that has reared its ugly head for the first time at this 37-hectare animal planet.

Babesiosis, a parasitic infection transmitted by ticks, claimed on March 18 one of the three cubs that was born in captivity to big cat couple Dona and Kailash in August last year. And, the zoo authorities are pulling out all the stops to prevent a rerun.

For starters, prophylactic injections are being administered to tigers, lions and leopards. Repeat doses will be given, if necessary, between seven and 14 days. Fumigation inside enclosures and cells has become a routine every alternate day while burning of dry leaves and bleaching are also among preventive steps.

"Babesiosis is deadly because it targets and destroys red blood corpuscles. Preventive measures are the need of the hour. Another tiger cub was infected, but now her condition is stable," zoo vet Manik Palit said, but hastened to add that it would be premature to guarantee that the health of the second cub would not deteriorate in coming days.

Palit said the cub was off-feed for the past three days, but was gradually showing a tendency to eat. "Our challenge is to bolster immunity. Once red blood corpuscles or RBCs are destroyed, they take time to form again. So, immunity has to be improved through medicines to prevent microbe attacks," he said, adding that blood tests had become routine for all resident big cats.

The zoo currently has five tigers - white male Kailash, Royal Bengal adult female Dona, an adolescent female and two female cubs. There are also five purebred African lions, two males and three females, and four leopards (two males and two females).

The zoo authorities are also consulting Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, on an advanced line of treatment.

"So far, things seem to be under control, but we can't leave anything to chance and hence, are consulting IVRI. We are also in touch with Etawah Safari Park in UP and Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, where tigers have died of Babesiosis," Palit said.

Swapan Ghosh, former consultant of Alipore Zoological Gardens in Calcutta, said Babesiosis can effect any animal and sometimes proves fatal. "Maintaining cleanliness inside cells and enclosure is a must. Controlling the spread of the disease is another major step. I believe the authorities at Tata zoo are competent enough to tackle the crisis," he said.

Tata zoo veterinary consultant V.K. Singh said prevention was the best cure in case of Babesiosis. "The zoo is taking all precautionary steps to save its animals," he added.