Otters Test Positive for COVID-19 at Georgia Aquarium

Asian small-clawed otters at the Georgia Aquarium have tested positive for coronavirus but expert animal health care teams say they are recovering well. 

"They have displayed only mild symptoms and we expect them all to make a full recovery,” said Dr. Tonya Clauss, vice president of animal and environmental health at Georgia Aquarium.

Right now, the otters have been moved behind-the-scenes as they rest up.

They began exhibiting mild respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, runny noses, mild lethargy and some even began coughing, according to the release. 

The team of experts also emphasized that "the risk of animal-to-human transmission is incredibly rare" and there has not been any direct contact with guests.

Several Tigers at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for the coronavirus in early April 2020 and eight Great Apes at the San Diego Zoo made medical history earlier this year when they were vaccinated for the virus, Inside Edition Digital previously reported.

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