Barcelona:
Four lions at Barcelona Zoo have tested positive for COVID-19, veterinary authorities stated on Tuesday, in only the second identified case in which huge felines have contracted coronavirus.
Three females named Zala, Nima and Run Run and Kiumbe, a male, have been tested immediately after keepers noticed they showed slight symptoms of coronavirus.
Two employees at the zoo also tested positive for coronavirus, the authorities stated, immediately after the outbreak was 1st detected final month.
Authorities are investigating how the lions became infected.
Keepers carried out PCR tests on the lions in the very same way as humans are tested as the animals are accustomed to speak to with the zoo employees.
The Veterinary Service of Barcelona contacted colleagues at the Bronx Zoo in New York, exactly where 4 tigers and 3 lions tested positive for COVID-19 in April. It is the only other zoo exactly where huge felines are identified to have contracted coronavirus. All recovered.
“The Zoo has contacted and collaborated with international experts such as the Veterinary Service of the Bronx Zoo, the only one that has documented cases of Sars-CoV-2 infection in felines,” the Barcelona zoo stated in a statement.
“The lions were given veterinary care for their mild clinical condition – similar to a very mild flu condition – through anti-inflammatory treatment and close monitoring, and the animals responded well.”
The 4-year-old male and the females, who are all 16 years old, have had no speak to with other animals at the zoo, which is open to guests.
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