Covid-19 detected in fully vaccinated 2 African lions, 6 other big cats: Report
PremiumCovid-19: In a US zoo, two African lions, two snow leopards, two jaguars, Amur tiger and a Puma have tested positive for coronavirus
Days after a pet dog in the UK tested positive for Covid-19, now eight big cats in a zoo in the US have also got infected from coronavirus, news agency ANI reported citing The Hill report.
In Saint Louis zoo, two African lions, two snow leopards, two jaguars, Amur tiger and a Puma have tested positive for coronavirus. No severe symptoms have been detected, only they showed a decreased appetite and became a little less active, the zoo said.
They also said that all the infected animals were given two doses of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines specific for animals between September 30 and October 26. But according to them, the animals were exposed before the second dose.
Until now the Covid-19 virus has only been detected among the big cats, none of the other 12,000 animals have shown the signs of infection, according to the zoo officials.
In September, six big cats tested positive for the coronavirus at the Smithsonian National Zoo.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports of animals infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been documented around the world. Most of these animals became infected after contact with people with COVID-19. However, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading Covid-19 to human beings.
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