A tiger has tested positive for the coronavirus at the Bronx Zoo in New York. Nadia, a four-year-old female Malayan tiger, became the first of her kind to be clinically diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a statement released by the Wildlife Conservation Society?s Bronx Zoo on April 5. The tiger was tested after she and six other animals at the zoo ? three more tigers and three lions ? had developed a dry cough, one of the symptoms of the novel virus. The positive COVID-19 test for the tiger was confirmed by United State?s Department of Agriculture?s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory, based in Ames, Iowa. A spokesperson for the zoo said: ?Though they have experienced some decrease in appetite, the cats at the Bronx Zoo are otherwise doing well under veterinary care and are bright, alert, and interactive with their keepers. ?It is not known how this disease will develop in big cats since different species can react differently to novel infections, but we will continue to monitor them closely and anticipate full recoveries.? The spokesperson added that the zoo believes the tiger caught the virus from a keeper caring for them, who asymptomatically infected with the virus or before that person developed symptoms. ?Appropriate preventive measures are now in place for all staff who are caring for them, and the other cats in our four WCS zoos, to prevent further exposure of any other of our zoo cats.? No other animals at the Bronx Zoo ? including its snow leopards, cheetahs, clouded leopard, Amur leopard, puma or serval ? are showing any signs of illness. COVID-19 is a disease caused by the coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. It is believed that the virus was first transferred to people at a food market that trades in wildlife in Wuhan, China. There is no evidence that animals play a role in the transmission of COVID-19 to people other than the initial event in the Wuhan market, and no evidence that any person has been infected with COVID-19 in the US by animals, including by pet dogs or cats. But the USDA is advising anyone sick with the coronavirus to try and minimize contact with animals, including pets, until more information is known about the virus. 06 Apr 2020 Pictured: A four-year-old female tiger has tested positive for coronavirus at the Bronx Zoo in New York, the first of her kind to be clinically diagnosed with the disease. Photo credit: WCS/ MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

This handout photo released by Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo on April 5, 2020 shows the Malayan tiger Nadia who tested positive for Covid-19. - A tiger at New York's Bronx Zoo has tested positive for COVID-19, the institution said Sunday, and is believed to have contracted the virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at the time. (Photo by JULIE LARSEN MAHER / Wildlife Conservation Society / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Julie Larsen Maher / @WCS " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

This handout photo released by Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo on April 5, 2020 shows the Malayan tiger Nadia who tested positive for Covid-19. - A tiger at New York's Bronx Zoo has tested positive for COVID-19, the institution said Sunday, and is believed to have contracted the virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at the time. (Photo by JULIE LARSEN MAHER / Wildlife Conservation Society / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Julie Larsen Maher / @WCS " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS