You may have heard about the tiger at the Bronx Zoo who tested positive for COVID-19. It’s mostly likely the tiger was exposed by a staff member who was asymptomatic or not yet showing symptoms. A small number of cats and dogs have also tested positive, prompting the CDC and other health organizations to investigate what it means. At this time, there is broad consensus that human-to-human contact is overwhelmingly the primary culprit in COVID-19 transmission. There’s no evidence that contact with sick pets is an exposure risk for humans.
The best thing for you and your pets is to stay home and limit contact as much as possible with people outside your household.
We’ll continue to monitor updates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Shelter Medicine Program, Association of Shelter Veterinarians, University of California-Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, University of Florida Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program, and the Centers for Disease Control.
Click here for further information and resources from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
