Lion infected with covid-19 probably passed it on to two zoo workers

1 year ago 66

Health

A lion at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus after it started coughing and became breathless. Zoo workers who had cared for the lion later caught the infection

By Soumya Sagar

Calendar icon

4 March 2023

Big cats, such as lions and tigers, have tested positive for the coronavirus before, but this is the first known case of a lion probably transmitting the infection to zoo workers

Big cats have tested positive for the coronavirus before, but this is the first known case of a lion probably transmitting the infection to zoo workers

James Ahmed / EyeEm/Getty Images

A lion that was infected with the coronavirus probably passed it on to two zoo employees, researchers have said in a new paper. Viral samples collected from the animal and the two workers were identical, with contact tracing suggesting the employees didn’t catch the infection in any other way.

Previous studies suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been passed from people to animals, such …

View introductory offers

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 14th March 2023.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account

More from New Scientist

Explore the latest news, articles and features

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Read Original