by John M. Simpson.
On June 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) provided an update to the list of cases of SARS-CoV-2 that have been confirmed by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories. The APHIS chart is reproduced below:
Given how APHIS has aggregated the data, it appears that the virus has been confirmed in the U.S. in four (4) tigers, two (2) lions, four (4) cats and one (1) dog.
Despite the increase in cases reported, APHIS has given no indication of a change in its position (as we previously reported) that “the risk of animals spreading the virus to people is considered to be low. There is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare.”