New York zoo tiger tests positive for coronavirus
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A TIGER at the Bronx Zoo in New York City has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, in what is believed to be the first known infection in an animal in the United States or a tiger anywhere, federal officials and the zoo said on Sunday.
The 4-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia 鈥 and six other tigers and lions that have also fallen ill 鈥 are believed to have been infected by a zoo employee who wasn鈥檛 yet showing symptoms, the zoo said. The first animal started showing symptoms on March 27, and all are doing well and expected to recover, said the zoo, which has been closed since March 16 amid the surging coronavirus pandemic in New York.
The test result stunned zoo officials: 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it,鈥 director Jim Breheny said in an interview. But he hopes the finding can contribute to the global fight against the virus that causes COVID-19.
鈥淎ny kind of knowledge that we get on how it鈥檚 transmitted, how different species react to it, that knowledge somehow is going to provide a greater base resource for people,鈥 he said.
The finding raises new questions about transmission of the virus in animals. The US Department of Agriculture, which confirmed Nadia鈥檚 test result at its veterinary lab, said there are no known cases of the virus in US pets or livestock.
鈥淭here doesn鈥檛 appear to be, at this time, any evidence that suggests that the animals can spread the virus to people or that they can be a source of the infection in the US,鈥 Dr Jane Rooney, a USDA official, said.
There have been several reports outside the US of pets becoming infected after close contact with contagious people, including a Hong Kong dog that tested positive for a low level of the pathogen. Hong Kong authorities concluded that pet dogs and cats couldn鈥檛 pass the virus to human beings but could test positive if exposed by their owners.
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