Kevin Stankiewicz
Nadia,
a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, that the zoo said
on April 5, 2020 has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
is seen in an undated handout photo provided by the Bronx zoo in New
York.
WCS | Reuters
A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The
4-year-old female Malaysian tiger, Nadia, had developed a dry cough and
was tested “out of an abundance of caution,” the Wildlife Conservation
Society’s Bronx Zoo
said in a statement.
The
diagnosis was confirmed by the United States Department of
Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories. It is the first
confirmed COVID-19 case in a tiger,
according to the USDA.
Several tigers and lions at the zoo showed symptoms of a respiratory ilness, the USDA said.
The
tiger who tested positive is believed to have become infected by a zoo
employee. The tiger first began to show symptoms on March 27, the USDA
said.
“Though they have experienced some decrease in appetite,
the cats at the Bronx Zoo are otherwise doing well under veterinary care
and are bright, alert, and interactive with their keepers,” the
Wildlife Conservation Society’s statement said.
“It is not known
how this disease will develop in big cats since different species can
react differently to novel infections, but we will continue to monitor
them closely and anticipate full recoveries.”
The Bronx Zoo was closed on March 16 as cases of COVID-19 in New York began to grow.
The
first human infections of the new coronavirus have been linked to a
live animal market in Wuhan, China, according to the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC does “not have evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19,” according to its website.
But it stresses that more information is needed to understand precisely
“if and how” COVID-19 affects different species of animals.
A dog in Hong Kong tested positive for COVID-19 in late February. The World Health Organization later said the dog was “doing well” and hadn’t developed any symptoms.
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