Six lions and three tigers at the Washington Zoo have tested positive for Covid-19 and are being treated for their symptoms, facility officials said on Friday
“Last weekend, guards observed decreased appetite, coughing, sneezing and lethargy” in six African lions, one Sumatran tiger and two Siberian tigers who tested positive for Covid -19 in preliminary tests, the zoo said.
Confirmatory test results are expected in the coming days, the facility said.
Zoo officials stressed that the public was not at risk, given the considerable distance between the feline habitat and visitors.
No other animal showed signs of infection, they added.
The contaminations of these beasts come as several American zoos, including the Washington Zoo, announced on Tuesday the launch of a vaccination campaign for animal species likely to be infected with Covid-19 in these establishments.
Beyond felines, primates have already been affected by the virus across the country, with several gorillas at the Atlanta city zoo in Georgia having tested positive last week.
To guard against this evil, the animals at the zoo in the American capital will therefore be vaccinated in the coming months with a serum developed by the specialized firm Zoetis.
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