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Tiger at Bronx Zoo Tests Positive for COVID-19

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.

The positive test led to many questions and concerns about the spread of the virus between animals and humans.

Here is a release from the USDA that addresses many of those questions:

(Washington, D.C. April 5, 2020) – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans) in one tiger at a zoo in New York. This is the first instance of a tiger being infected with COVID-19. Samples from this tiger were taken and tested after several lions and tigers at the zoo showed symptoms of respiratory illness.