COVID-19 is raging across the globe. It has affected 208 countries, infected more than 1.2 million and killed 70,000 people. No vaccines are currently available for the virus. Now, a tiger at New York’s Bronx Zoo has tested positive for COVID-19, the US Department of Agriculture has said. Nadia, a four-year-old Malayan tiger, tested positive for COVID-19 on April 5, 2020. Nadia and her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions developed dry coughs and loss of appetite in late March. The zoo authorities immediately sedated Nadia and did a number of diagnosing tests including the COVID-19 test. The test samples were sent to the New York State Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University and the samples University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Nadia was tested for the COVID-19 virus on April 2, and the testing method is different from humans. The Malayan tiger was infected by an asymptomatic zookeeper, who is yet to be identified. Previously, two dogs in Hong Kong and a domestic cat in Belgium had tested positive for COVID-19. The Central Zoo Authority of India has advised zoos to remain alert and monitor animals 24×7 for any abnormal behaviour. It has also asked the zoo administrations to send the samples of suspected animals to four different animal health institutes for COVID-19 testing.
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