Two gorillas at San Diego Zoo test positive for Covid-19
COVID-19 | Two captive gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for Covid-19 after falling ill, and a third gorilla appears also to be symptomatic, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday in an online update about the coronavirus pandemic.
Newsom said the source of infection is still being investigated to determine whether the virus was transmitted between animals or from humans to the apes...
COVID-19 | Two captive gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for Covid-19 after falling ill, and a third gorilla appears also to be symptomatic, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday in an online update about the coronavirus pandemic.
Newsom said the source of infection is still being investigated to determine whether the virus was transmitted between animals or from humans to the apes.
Officials of San Diego Zoo Global, which operates the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, said in a press release that they initiated the process of testing faecal samples from the gorillas through the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System after two of the gorillas began coughing on Jan 6.
The US Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the positive results on Monday.
The test results confirmed the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in some of the gorillas and does not definitively rule out the presence of the virus in other members of the troop, according to the press release.
"Aside from some congestion and coughing, the gorillas are doing well," said Lisa Peterson, executive director, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, adding that those gorillas remain quarantined together and are eating and drinking.
Officials noted that it is suspected the gorillas acquired the infection from an asymptomatic staff member, despite following all recommended precautions, including Covid-19 safety protocols from public health authorities as well as wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when near the gorillas.
"Research studies have verified that some non-human primates are susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, but this is the first known instance of natural transmission to great apes and it is unknown if they will have any serious reaction," officials said.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a major tourist attraction in the county, has been closed to the public since Dec 6, 2020, under regional stay-at-home order in response to the Covid-19 surge.
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted on its official website that there is a risk of people spreading the virus that causes Covid-19 to animals and the first US case of an animal testing positive for Covid-19 was a tiger at a New York zoo.
- Reuters
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