US zoo: Tiger tests positive for COVID-19

Nadia, a four-year-old female Malayan tiger, had developed a dry cough before getting tested. Nadia's sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions are also being monitored for similar symptoms, the zoo said in a statement.

The zoo tested Nadia for COVID-19 "out of an abundance of caution" and the positive result was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the release said.

"Though they have experienced some decrease in appetite, the cats at the Bronx Zoo are otherwise doing well under veterinary care and are bright, alert, and interactive with their keepers," said the zoo.

The animals were infected by an coronavirus-infected zoo employee who exhibited no symptom while caring for them, it added.

"It is not known how this disease will develop in big cats since different species can react differently to novel infections, but we will continue to monitor them closely and anticipate full recoveries," said the zoo.

The Bronx Zoo has been closed to the public since March 16.

Meanwhile, the Zoo in a tweet apprised that the COVID-19 testing that was performed on our Malayan tiger Nadia was performed in a veterinary school laboratory and is not the same test as is used for people.

"You cannot send human samples to the veterinary laboratory, and you cannot send animal tests to the human laboratories, so there is no competition for testing between these very different situations", the tweet read citing Zoo's chief veterinarian Dr. Paul Calle.