In a first, a Tiger in the Bronx Zoo in the USA has been tested positive of coronavirus in the rarest of the rare incidents of coronavirus infecting animals.
The four-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia was reported to have developed a sore throat, which is one of the symptoms of coronavirus. The animal was later tested positive of the virus. Besides Nadia, her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions have also developed dry coughs.
However, the officials said that they will soon recover.
“We tested the cat out of an abundance of caution and will ensure any knowledge we gain about Covid-19 will contribute to the world’s continuing understanding of this novel coronavirus,” the statement sent to AFP said.
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The tiger is believed to have contracted the virus from a caretaker at the zoo as the coronavirus cases in the US have surged recently. The USA currently has over 3,30,000 coronavirus cases and has reported 9,000+ deaths.
The zoo emphasised that there is “no evidence that animals play a role in the transmission of Covid-19 to people other than the initial event in the Wuhan market, and no evidence that any person has been infected with Covid-19 in the US by animals, including by pet dogs or cats.”
