A tiger locked up in an American zoo tested positive for coronavirus. One of the keepers would have infected her
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himA tiger from the Bronx Zoo in New York City tested positive for coronavirus. And it is not the only one. Six other big cats showed Covid-19 infection. The infamous virus doesn't spare the animals either, but in their case it is man who infects them and worse still in captivity.
The United States Department of Agriculture announced the infection inside the American zoo yesterday afternoon. This is the first animal infected in the US, bringing the world total to 5: the other animals affected by coronavirus are two dogs and a cat in Hong Kong and a cat in Belgium. As the ISS explains, in all cases, the origin of the infection in animals would be the disease of their owners, all affected by COVID-19.
"This is the first time, as far as we know, that a [wild] animal has gotten sick with COVID-19 from a person,"
said Paul Calle, chief veterinarian at the Bronx Zoo. The Malayan tiger, named Nadia, likely contracted the coronavirus from an infected livestock guardian. The zoo is closed to visitors from March 16.
After developing a dry cough in late March, the four-year-old Malayan tiger was swabbed on April 2 along with her sister. Two other Siberian tigers and three African lions showed cough and loss of appetite. Nadia tested positive, which is why the zoo also subjected the other large animals that were in contact with her to veterinary care.
“Considering what's happening in New York City, we obviously did the COVID tests,” said Calle.
The team took samples at the zoo and sent them to the New York State Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.
“None of the zoo's snow leopards, cheetahs, clouded leopard, Amur leopard, puma or serval show any signs of the disease. Our felines were infected by a carer who was asymptomatically infected with the virus. Appropriate preventive measures are now in place for all staff caring for them and for the other animals in our four WCS zoos to prevent further exposure, ”the Zoo's official statement.
As recently confirmed by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, there is no evidence that animals can spread the new coronavirus to people. On the contrary, it is man who infects them.
For Umberto Agrimi, director of the Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health
"There is no evidence that pets play a role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 which it recognizes, instead, in human contagion is the main route of transmission. However, as veterinary surveillance and experimental studies suggest that pets are occasionally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, it is important protect the animals of COVID-1 patients9, limiting their exposure ”And he continues:“ The high circulation of the virus among human beings, however, does not seem to spare, on some occasions, the animals that share the home environment, everyday life and affection with man ”.
John Goodrich, chief scientist and director of the Panthera tiger program, a worldwide organization for the conservation of big cats, is concerned about the animals, which are already seriously at risk:
“Big cats like tigers and lions are already facing a number of threats to their survival in the wild. If COVID-19 leaps to wild populations of big cats and becomes a significant cause of mortality, the virus could become a very serious concern for the future of these species, ”she said.
Not to mention zoos, where animals find themselves locked up in much narrower spaces than those in which they are used to living. Spaces that favor the circulation of coronavirus due to the presence of man.
Sources of reference: WCS’s Zoo, National Geographic, Higher Institute of Health
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