In a first, three snow leopards in the United States tested positive for coronavirus. This makes snow leopards the sixth confirmed species to have contracted the novel coronavirus from humans.

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First, a snow leopard in Kentucky was found to have contracted SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 in human beings. Later, two more leopards at the Louisville zoo also tested positive.

They are believed to have been infected by an asymptomatic staff member despite all the precautions taken in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories took samples from the snow leopards after signs of respiratory illness emerged.

The Independent quoted a senior staff veterinarian at the zoo as saying, "We will be closely monitoring the snow leopards for ongoing symptoms and resampling them to identify when they have cleared the infection."

The zoo official said that all three snow leopards had mild symptoms and they were all expected to recover. The zoo continues to monitor the big cats closely.

From the information available, there is a very low risk of infected animals spreading the virus to humans.

The snow leopards are one of at least six species that became infected with coronavirus because of close contact with humans.

It was a Malayan tiger at the Bronx zoo, who first tested positive for coronavirus after symptoms of respiratory illness in April. In the same month, at least eight of the big cats at the Bronz zoo tested positive for the virus. It included four tigers and three African lions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, some dogs and cats were found to be infected with the coronavirus too. In most of these cases, it is not deadly.

Thousands of minks though have been killed at fur farms in the US and some other countries because of coronavirus outbreaks.