From People to Panthera: natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo

This study documented the first confirmed natural SARS-CoV-2 infections in big cats, occurring in tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo early in the COVID-19 pandemic. After several cats developed respiratory signs, the authors used RT-PCR, viral sequencing and serology to confirm infection and traced the likely source to an asymptomatically infected animal caretaker. Genomic analysis was consistent with human-to-cat transmission and revealed spread among cats in the collection. The work established that Panthera species are susceptible to the pandemic coronavirus and that zoonotic spillback from humans to captive wildlife was a real risk. It prompted revised biosecurity and personal protective protocols across zoos worldwide and became a defining case in understanding SARS-CoV-2 host range in felids.