People are currently obsessed with the Netflix series Tiger King, which follows Oklahoma safari park owner Joe Exotic on a journey of — as the subtitle suggests — “murder, mayhem and madness.” And another bizarre big cat story has been in the news this week.
A 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which is based at the zoo. Nadia, the tiger, tested positive and her sister, two Amur tigers and three African lions have all developed a dry cough and symptoms of respiratory illness as well (they were not tested because the zoo did not want to risk putting them all under general anesthesia). Nadia’s test was confirmed at a veterinary lab and not using a human test. All are expected to make a full recovery.
“Our cats were infected by a person caring for them who was asymptomatically infected with the virus or before that person developed symptoms,” says the zoo. “Appropriate preventive measures are now in place for all staff who are caring for them, and the other cats in our four WCS zoos, to prevent further exposure of any other of our zoo cats.”
A USDA report says that the virus’ leap from zookeeper to big cat is the “first case of its kind.”
The cats are doing well and are under veterinary care. But they are being closely monitored because it’s not known how this novel coronavirus will react in these different species.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people. This occurred with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and now with the virus that causes COVID-19.”
One of the leading theories on the origin of current pandemic is that COVID-19 originally jumped from animals to humans at a seafood and live animal market in Wuhan, China, before making its way across the globe. It can now be transmitted from person to person.
While Nadia is the first case of human to animal transmission of its kind, there was a widely circulated story in February of a coronavirus patient in Hong Kong whose dog tested “weak positive” for the disease but was asymptomatic. There were issues with that confirmation because it’s unclear if the dog had actually contracted COVID-19 or just had the virus on them from environmental contamination. And in Science News, they reported a case of a cat in Belgium who apparently contracted COVID-19 from its owner — but even the article noted the confirmation was “complicated.”
Regardless, the USDA says, “Anyone sick with COVID-19 should restrict contact with animals, out of an abundance of caution including pets, during their illness, just as they would with other people. Although there have not been reports of pets becoming sick with COVID-19 in the United States, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. If a sick person must care for a pet or be around animals, they should wash their hands before and after the interaction.”
So what does this all mean for the animals at the Cincinnati Zoo and their caretakers?
We asked the zoo’s Communications Director, Michelle Curley.
Curley said in an email that the zoo’s veterinarians and 65 full-time keepers (who are on a rotating schedule) are on top of all current USDA and CDC recommendations.
“Cincinnati Zoo, and all accredited Zoos, have protocols in place to prevent transfer of Zoonotic diseases,” she says. “According to the USDA, there is no evidence to suggest that any animals, including pets or livestock, can spread COVID-19 infection to people. Out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively stepping up distancing and safety measures in animal areas and throughout the zoo.”
She adds, “The tiger case is the first of its kind and is being closely monitored by the CDC and USDA. Cincinnati Zoo will continue to follow recommendations from these organizations and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).”
She also added that the report about the Bronx Zoo from the USDA has a full Q&A section about COVID-19 and animals.
The USDA says, “Further studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19. State animal and public health officials will continue to work closely with USDA and CDC to monitor this situation.”
This article appears in Mar 18 – Apr 14, 2020.