It’s the first known coronavirus infection in an animal in the US.
A four-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for the coronavirus, while three lions are also showing symptoms.
The US Department of Agriculture, which confirmed the test result for the tiger, named Nadia, at its veterinary lab, said it is the first known coronavirus infection in an animal in the US or a tiger anywhere in the world.
Nadia and the other big cats are thought to have been infected by an asymptomatic zoo keeper and the animals began exhibiting symptoms, including a dry cough, late last month.
“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 zoo 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 zoo was also quick to point out that the test performed on Nadia is different to a human test and was not affecting capacity for members of the public.
“The COVID-19 testing that was performed on our Malayan tiger Nadia was performed in a veterinary school laboratory and is not the same test as is used for people,” said Dr. Paul Calle, Bronx Zoo chief veterinarian.
“You cannot send human samples to the veterinary laboratory, and you cannot send animal tests to the human laboratories, so there is no competition for testing between these very different situations.”
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