“It Is a Tiger That Devours Me, But I Am the Tiger”

ABSTRACT

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the animals known to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 include otters, mink, white-tailed deer, dogs, ferrets, and felids, including domestic cats, lions, pumas, and tigers. Diagnostic samples taken from one tiger confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2, and public health officials postulated that the source was exposure to a zoo employee positive for the virus. A 2014 literature review in PLoS One documents myriad cases in which humans transmitted influenza A virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and other pathogens to animals and stated that “transmission occurred in every continent except Antarctica therefore indicating a worldwide disease threat.” November 21, 2021 The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.