Corona crisis: Tiger infected in New York Zoo

Closed since March 16: The Bronx Zoo.

Bild: AP

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Dry cough, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite

The Malaysia tiger was tested as a precautionary measure and hoped that it will also contribute to understanding the virus, said the zoo’s veterinarian, Paul Calle. Only Nadia had been tested because the big cats had to be anesthetized to prove it. The female tiger did not have an elevated temperature, but Nadia and the other affected big cats suffered from a dry cough and sometimes from difficulty breathing and anorexia, said veterinarian Calle.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which confirmed the test result, said there had been no known coronavirus infections in animals in the U.S. It is also not recommended that such tests be carried out routinely.

In the past few months there had been a few cases in which animals apparently became infected after coming into contact with infected people. Among other things, a dog in Hong Kong tested positive in February. However, the local health authorities came to the conclusion that domestic dogs and cats could not transmit the virus back to humans.