In what appears to be the first documented case of a coronavirus infection in an animal in the United States, a tiger at NYC's Bronx Zoo has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

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Per WIVB, a four-year-old Malayan tiger was tested as a precautionary measure to help the world understand more about the virus. Six other tigers and lions have become sick, and it's believed that they were infected by a Bronx Zoo employee.

While the first infection of an animal raises new questions about how the virus is spread, experts say that there is no evidence to suggest that people can catch the virus from an animal.

“It’s important to assure pet owners and animal owners that at this time there isn’t any evidence that they can spread the virus,” said Dr. Jane Rooney, a veterinarian and a USDA official.

While other animals have tested positive elsewhere on the globe, including a dog in Hong Kong in February and early March. Authorities in Hong Kong asserted that the pathogen could not be passed from cats and dogs to humans.

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