The incident comes close on the heels of mass bird deaths reported from the Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan which has been attributed to botulism as per the preliminary reports. Prashanth Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mysuru. Veterinarians in Mysuru said that botulism affects the nerves and results in the death of the infected birds but is not contagious. The laboratory reports may take at least a week to 10 days, said Mr. Prashanth Kumar, who has also asked the pollution control board to conduct water tests to assess pollution levels. Mr. Prashanth Kumar said Lingambudhi Lake has a large catchment area in the form of stormwater drains and there are instances of UGD being let into it.

Source: The Hindu November 17, 2019 14:03 UTC