Zoo Outbreak: Lions, Tigers from Washington DC's National Zoo All Tested Positive for COVID-19

COVID-19 has been found in the lions and tigers at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. According to the zoo's announcement on Friday, six African lions, a Sumatran tiger, and two Amur tigers all tested positive for the coronavirus.

That implies the animals passed laboratory tests, but the United States Department of Agriculture must verify the results. Coughing, sneezing, decreased appetite, and lethargy is among the signs displayed by the large cats, leading zookeepers to suspect they are sick.

"We are treating all animals as positive since the test results are presumptive positive, and we are witnessing symptoms in the animals," zoo spokesperson Pamela Baker-Masson told DCist.

Uncertain About the Viral Spread

Many zoo animals have previously been trained to receive vaccinations, as they must be inoculated against illnesses such as rabies. So after they get a shot, they might be regarded as part of the training. For example, mountain lions were given goat milk at the Oakland Zoo, a chimp was given M&Ms, and bears were given ice cream on a spoon, according to PBS.

Covid Spreading to Animals

There have been reports of animals infected with SARS-CoV-2 all around the world. Most of these animals got infected by coming into touch with COVID-19-infected people, such as their owners, caregivers, or others nearby. Unfortunately, we don't yet know all of the creatures that are susceptible to infection.

Many research has been conducted to understand better how this virus affects different species. However, these findings are based on a limited number of animals and do not indicate whether animals transmit disease to humans.

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