Gorillas at US Zoo exhibiting congestion, coughing after testing positive for Covid
The San Diego Zoo in the American state of California said authorities first took note when two members of the 'Gorilla Troop' began coughing. Samples taken from the apes tested positive for Covid-19 on January 8.
Over 10 months after a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York tested positive for Covid-19, a similar turn of events has been reported from the US. In what is being seen as a first, two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have been found infected with the novel coronavirus.
The San Diego Zoo, in a press release on Monday, said authorities first took note when two members of the 'Gorilla Troop' began coughing. Fecal samples collected from the apes were sent to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CA-HFS) and tested.
According to the release, the samples tested positive for Covid-19 on January 8. The same was confirmed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) on Monday.
The affected gorillas are doing well apart from some congestion and coughing. Executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Lisa Peterson said, "The troop remains quarantined together and are eating and drinking. We are hopeful for a full recovery."
Meanwhile, a third gorilla is also symptomatic but has not tested positive for the infection. Since the animals live together, Zoo officials are under the assumption that all animals could have been exposed to the virus. The San Diego Zoo has been closed for the public since December of last year.
All gorillas in the Zoo are being "carefully observed" while a team of veterinarians is attending to the two apes who have already tested positive for Covid-19 but do not seem to be developing any other symptoms. Officials are yet to rule out the possibility that the gorillas may have caught the infection from an asymptomatic Zoo staffer.