First case of COVID-19 found in the animals. A 4 year old Malayan Tiger ‘Nadia’ has been tested positive of Covid-19 at Bronx Zoo, New York. With some other cats showing symptoms. The Tiger Nadia was infected by a asymptomatic care-taker. The test done was different then human tests. They are developing SOP now.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which confirmed Nadia’s test result at its veterinary lab, said there are no known cases of the virus in U.S. pets or livestock. No other information. Statement of Bronx Zoo here. Worry is spread, in species which are already rare.
On the official Twitter account of Bornx Zoo, Dr. Paul Calle, Bronx Zoo chief veterinarian said in a tweet “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.
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, Dr Paul added.”
Nadia, a 4-year-old Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York has tested positive for coronavirus. This is the first known instance of a tiger being infected, the USDA says.