The aquarium announced on Sunday that it was testing the otters after they showed “mild respiratory symptoms, including sneezing, runny noses, mild lethargy and coughing.”
The seven creatures are cared for outside the exhibition. Despite being geriatric, they improve and are expected to make a full recovery, the aquarium said.
“Our small-clawed Asian otters are being closely monitored by veterinarians and animal care team members,” said Dr. Tonya Clauss, vice president of animal and environmental health at Georgia Aquarium. “We provide supportive care when needed so they can eat, rest and recover.”
The aquarium suspects that the otters got the infection from an asymptomatic worker and tested all workers who were in contact with them. These animals have no direct contact with guests and have always been separated from them by acrylic barriers, the aquarium said.
“The otters will continue to be monitored and once they are no longer positive for COVID-19, it will be determined when they will go back on display,” it added in a statement.
This is the first time Georgia Aquarium has tested any of its animals for Covid-19, but it is not the first time an animal has tested positive.
In December, three snow leopards tested positive for coronavirus at the Louisville Zoo. Thousands of minks died on fur farms in Utah and Wisconsin after a series of coronavirus outbreaks. A small number of cats and dogs also tested positive during the pandemic.