Two hippopotamuses have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 at Antwerp zoo in Belgium without any symptoms detected except runny noses.
The authorities at the zoo said Imani, aged 14, and Hermien, 41, had been put in quarantine as a precaution.
The zoo’s veterinary doctor, Francis Vercammen, said.
“To my knowledge, this is the first time in this species. Worldwide, this virus has been reported mainly in great apes and felines.’
The coronavirus is thought to have jumped from an animal to a human, and it is proved to have passed from humans to animals. Pets including cats, dogs, and ferrets have become infected following contact with their owners, and zoo cases have been reported in big cats, otters, primates, and hyenas.
The disease has also spread in mink farms and to wild animals such as deer, Guardian reports.
Although none of the zookeepers had shown any symptom of Covid or tested positive for the virus, an investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of the outbreak.
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