In a one-of-a-kind case, a tiger in the Bronx Zoo in New York has tested positive for COVID-19.
Four-year-old Nadia, a Malayan tiger, showed symptoms like dry cough and loss of appetite, the zoo’s chief veterinarian, Dr Paul Calle, told the New York Post. The doctor tweeted that the coronavirus test used for the tiger wasn’t the same as the one being used for humans.
The zoo had been shut since March 16 to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
According to the zoo officials, Nadia and six other big cats—Nadia’s sibling, two Siberian tigers and three African lions—have also shown similar symptoms, but have not been tested.
The animals were infected by a zoo employee who was asymptomatic but carried the virus while caring for them.
After news of Nadia being infected emerged, several people took to social media to lament that the animal had access to coronavirus testing, while, humans have not been as fortunate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, animals can be affected by the virus, but scientists don’t believe that they can transmit the infection to humans.
Quite a few domestic animals have tested positive for the coronavirus. These include a Pomeranian and a German Shepherd in Hong Kong and a domestic cat in Belgium.
