Two hippopotamus at the Antwerp Zoo in northern Belgium, which had a runny nose, tested positive for Covid-19, something that is happening for the first time in the world.
These animals always have a wet nose, but “this time they were sniffing and for precautionary reasons I examined the nasal secretions”, explained the veterinarian Francis Fairkamen. “I made the decision to test the samples for Covid-19 and the result surprised us. As far as I know, this is the first infection with Covid-19 in this species. “Throughout the world, the virus has been detected mainly in monkeys and felines,” he explained.
The two female hippos, Hermian, 41, and her daughter Imani, 14, have no symptoms other than a runny nose. For precautionary reasons, the zoo banned visitors from accessing their grounds. Officials tested positive for the new coronavirus, but those caring for the animals will wear protective clothing and undergo a rapid test daily.
It is unknown how the hippos got the new coronavirus. None of their caregivers recently contracted the disease, nor did they show any symptoms.
Belgium again imposed health measures this week, announcing the closure of primary schools and kindergartens from 18 December, one week earlier than normal. On average, in the country of 11 million inhabitants, 17,800 infections and 44 deaths are recorded daily.
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