Four more tigers and three lions have tested positive for coronavirus at a New York zoo after the first case of a tiger being infected was reported there earlier in April.
The Bronx Zoo said in a statement the animals are behaving normally.
“All eight cats continue to do well, they are behaving normally, eating well, and their coughing is greatly reduced,’’ it said.
Faecal tests confirmed that three tigers and three African lions that had exhibited a cough had the infection, as well as a fourth tiger that never developed a cough.
In early April, the zoo reported that a four-year-old female Malayan tiger called Nadia was the first case of a tiger testing positive for the disease.
The zoo added: “Our cats were infected by a staff person who was asymptomatically infected with the virus or before that person developed symptoms.”
None of the zoo’s leopards, cheetahs, pumas, or servals are showing signs of illness, according to the zoo, which has been closed since mid-March.
“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.
“Also, no evidence that any person has been infected with COVID-19 in the United States by animals, including by pet dogs or cats,’’ a report said.
Two cats in New York were the first pets to test positive for coronavirus in the US, health officials said. (NAN)
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