(CNN) — Two hippos at a zoo in Antwerp, Belgium, tested positive for COVID-19, in what is believed to be the first such infection reported in the species.
The hippos, called Imani and Hermien, they have shown no symptoms “other than a runny nose,” according to a zoo news release.
How the animals were exposed to the virus is unknown; His caregivers have not shown any symptoms of Covid-19 and all tested negative for the virus, according to the statement.
Imani, who is 14, and Hermien, 41, are being kept in isolation for now and cannot be seen by visitors, the zoo said.
“To my knowledge, this is the first known contamination in this species. Globally, this virus has been reported primarily in great apes and cats,” said zoo veterinarian Francis Vercammen, who oversaw his tests for the coronavirus.
Covid-19 infections have been reported in zoo animals and pets around the world, including in big cats, primates, ferrets and mink, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, per its acronym in English). Last month, three snow leopards at a zoo in Nebraska died of complications from the virus.
Companion animals, especially cats and dogs, are the main group of animal species affected by the coronavirus. While the risk of animal-to-human transmission is low, people can transmit coronavirus to pets, CDC officials warned.
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