Officials reportedly said 18 out of 20 gorillas at the Atlanta Zoo have contracted COVID-19.
This happens a few days after employees report their first case. Many gorillas had runny noses and coughed with a change in appetite.
Zoo officials said there is no evidence that animals can transmit the virus to humans, although humans can transmit it to gorillas. “While it is known that humans can transmit the virus to animals such as gorillas and these cases have occurred in other zoos, there is currently no data to suggest that zoo animals can transmit the virus to humans.”
Officials continued, “Still, visitors to Atlanta Zoo do not pose a risk of transmission to the gorillas, or vice versa, given the distance between the areas used by guests and the animals’ habitats,” WSB reports.
Sam Rivera, senior director of the Atlanta Zoo, said there were concerns as there was a strict protocol for COVID-19 but the gorillas were still affected.
“The infections occurred in an area of the zoo where COVID safety protocols are already the strictest,” said Rivera. “The use of PPE when working with great apes was already a common practice at Atlanta Zoo because of their susceptibility to many of the same diseases that humans suffer from, including the common cold and flu.”
Currently, the Atlanta Zoo is “using monoclonal antibodies to treat the gorillas who are at risk of developing complications from the virus,” reports WSB.
Roommate, what do you think of that?
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