A four-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia from Bronx Zoo in the US has been diagnosed with covid-19. Federal government officials said it was the first animal to be infected in the world. Along with Nadia six other tigers and lions also fell ill and some of them have decreased appetite and some have cough symptoms. No other animals were found positive for corona.
An employee at the zoo would have been asymptomatic for corona virus, and through him the disease might have transferred, the wild life conservation society’s Bronx zoo stated in a news release.
Though they have experienced some decrease in appetite, the cats at the Bronx Zoo are doing well under veterinary care and are found to be healthy and interactive with their keepers,” the zoo said.
Coronavirus symptoms were seen on March 27 for the tiger Nadia. Now it is reported that it is in recovery stage. After the corona rampage in New York, the zoo has been shut down since March 16. Zoo director Jim Breheny said they were in utter dismay and couldn’t believe the tiger was infected by the corona.
They are hopeful that this news will be useful to the other countries of the world. Corona Tests are conducted for humans and animals differently. So there is no competition for both. Test kits used for humans are obviously not used for animals, said Jim Breheny.
The American Veterinary Medical Association and Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have suggested that those who are infected with coronavirus should take their pets away and urges to wash hands after touching the pet.