Tigers At San Diego Zoo Safari Park May Have Been Exposed To COVID-19

Speaker 1: 00:00 The San Diego zoo and safari park are moving quickly to vaccinate about 250 potentially vulnerable animals against COVID. The vaccination program is stepping up after more animals have tested positive, including five of the zoos, six Sumatran tigers, and two snow leopards. It's not entirely clear how the animals caught the virus, but new masking requirements are now in place for all staff members. Zoo officials, hope to complete the first round of vaccinations this week. Joining me to discuss this as San Diego union Tribune, biotech reporter, Jonathan Rosen, and Jonathan, welcome back. Thanks for having me now, is this a major outbreak of COVID in the zoo safari park? So Speaker 2: 00:45 It's not a major outbreak, but we've seen several recent examples over the past couple of weeks of animals, testing positive at both the zoo and safari park. So this week, the safari park mounts that five of the six Sumatran tigers, they have, uh, have tested positive and three of the five have had fairly mild COVID symptoms, mostly coughing, and the tigers seem a bit more lethargic than they usually are. Last week. We know that the two snow leopards at the zoo, uh, also tested positive for the virus and symptoms were pretty mild, you know, there as well, those snow leopards basically recovered is what I'm told. So it was a party park. Have I believe in total upwards of 12,000 animals from, uh, you know, hundreds of different species. So we're not talking about major outbreaks, but we are talking about several recent examples of transmission, presumably from, uh, staff members to some of the wildlife Speaker 1: 01:43 That's know which animals are susceptible to COVID and which aren't. So I wouldn't Speaker 2: 01:48 Say they know completely which animals are susceptible or not, but it is clear over the past year that different types of cats, different types of felines can get the Corona virus. I think primates unsurprisingly, since they're very closely related to us are also considered susceptible. And then there are other species which the zoo thinks to various degrees may also be susceptible the list of animals. They're trying to vaccinate, spans everything from, as I mentioned, some primates cats, hyenas, I think otters were on the list. So there's a whole lot of species that may have some degree of vulnerability. Uh, but it's not clear exactly how much, how are these animals diagnosed? So they're diagnosed initially because keepers are keeping a close eye on them. And if they see in the case of the tiger is they noticed that one of the, actually the youngest tiger in the safari park, wasn't eating as much as he usually does. And wasn't as active as it usually is. So they did a stool sample. So as opposed to a swab up the nose or down the throat, they basically collect stool and do the same type of testing that you would do on people to detect the genetic material from the virus. And so the PSU has an internal lab where they test those samples. They send them out to a state lab to confirm that, and then they send those results out to a national lab as well. Has any Speaker 1: 03:18 Zoo animal, uh, become severely ill or died of COVID? Speaker 2: 03:23 No, uh, yeah, that has not happened so far. And all these cases had been, you know, fairly mild. Now the working Speaker 1: 03:31 Theory is that the zoo staff has spread the virus to the animals. Is it common for Corona viruses to be transmissible from humans to animals? Speaker 2: 03:42 It's not considered to be common, but it's definitely known or believed to happen. And it's probably not too surprising that we're seeing that happen. Now, when you think about what's going on in terms of the surge of new Delta cases, Delta driven cases here in San Diego, where, you know, we're routinely seeing 700, 801,000 plus new cases of the Corona virus in the region. So it's probably not a coincidence that we're having a surge among people and in some cases, uh, that, that seems to be crossing over to, uh, animals. I mean, one little thing that's interesting is that the zoo is working with Scripps research to do genetic sequencing on the viral samples that they're detecting and their wildlife. Uh, so far they only have results from the two snow leopards, which apparently didn't have the Delta variant. They had some other strain of the virus, but, uh, yeah, the working theory is that folks who are carrying the virus, but don't have symptoms are still transmitting it and a few cases to these animals and can the animals transmit the virus to each other. Speaker 2: 04:47 That's not completely clear. But when I spoke with, uh, Lisa Peterson, who's executive director of safari park, that that is what they think happened in the case of the tigers, for example, where five of the six, uh, tigers tested positive, they think that, uh, even though those tigers aren't kept in a sort of a shared open space, they are able to sniff each other through an enclosure or through cage essentially, and, and have a little bit of contact that way. So yes, the, the thinking is that the animals are spreading into each other. That was one of the reasons why once the first couple gorillas tested positive back in January, uh, the safari park expected that eventually the rest of the troop would probably test positive as well, just because they have a lot of contact with each other. There's no, obviously no concept of social distancing. And they tend to keep these animals together. Even when one or two of them test positive, they think it's still, probably better for their health and safety to keep them in that, uh, group unit. So, so that's definitely something that can happen. How was Speaker 1: 05:50 The vaccination program working at the zoo? Well, first of all, what kind of vaccine are they using? Speaker 2: 05:56 So it's a little different of a vaccine from what any of us who are getting vaccinated may have gotten, but not so different. So this is a vaccine made by an animal health company called [inaudible] actually is the widest used to be part of Pfizer, which is notable. Given the Pfizer is one of the main vaccine developers right now. It's a vaccine that delivers a little protein from the Corona virus. So it's not, [inaudible], it's not one of these other technologies. It's a little bit of protein from the virus that is injected, and that then sparks in the immune response that can help prevent against future infection. So it's a two dose vaccine in this case, they're spaced, uh, three weeks apart. So by the end of this week, we expect that all of the animals that are susceptible or thought to be susceptible will have gotten that first dose. And then they'll start doing second doses in the following week. Speaker 1: 06:46 And animals contracting COVID is sort of a brand new territory for research. And the zoo apparently is conducting studies on this while they're trying to stop it. Speaker 2: 06:57 Yeah, they're in the early stages of it. But, uh, you know, they are, I think I mentioned a second ago looking at the different variants that, uh, the wildlife are getting, so they can perhaps get a sense of whether certain variants are more likely to cross over from presumably from people to a certain species. So they're doing that in collaboration with Scripps research. Um, and I know they, aren't going to be paying attention to, you know, looking at things like antibody responses and other types of immune responses, um, as the animals get regular health checkups throughout the year. So it's all uncharted territory in the same way of learning about human immunity to COVID has been uncharted. Uh, and, and that, that is one of the interesting things to, you know, follow up with them and see what they learn and what that means for, you know, future outbreaks and then how they respond to those. I've Speaker 1: 07:50 Been speaking with San Diego union Tribune, reporter Jonathan Rosen, Jonathan, thank you so much. You're welcome anytime.