A Malayan tiger at a New York City zoo has
tested positive for the novel coronavirus after developing a dry cough, the Wildlife Conservation Society
said in a statement Sunday.
“Nadia, a four-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, has tested positive for Covid-19.
She, her sister Azul, two Amur tigers, and three African lions had developed a dry cough and all are expected to recover,” the statement read.
The diagnosis is believed to be the first known infection in an animal in the US or a tiger anywhere, federal officials and the zoo said on Sunday. More from the Associated Press:
The finding raises new questions about transmission of the virus in animals. The USDA says there are no known cases of the virus in US pets or livestock.
The coronavirus outbreaks around the world are driven by person-to-person transmission, experts say.
There have been reports of a small number of pets outside the United States becoming infected after close contact with contagious people, including a Hong Kong dog that tested positive for a low level of the pathogen in February and early March. Hong Kong agriculture authorities concluded that pet dogs and cats couldn’t pass the virus to human beings but could test positive if exposed by their owners.