4 Zoo Atlanta Gorillas Test Positive For Delta Variant Of COVID

ATLANTA ? Four Zoo Atlanta gorillas have tested positive for the delta variant of COVID-19, Zoo officials said.

While zoo officials say that 18 of the 20 gorillas reflect ?clinical signs consistent with SARS-CoV-2 infection,? Senior Director of Animal Health Sam Rivera told Patch that as of Wednesday testing from the National Veterinary Services Lab only showed four positive results, ?thus far.?

However, test results have yet to be returned for other gorillas exhibiting signs of the coronavirus, including coughing, sneezing, clear nasal discharge, selective appetite, and in some cases, subdued behavior.

?Other results are expected in coming days,? Zoo Atlanta spokeswoman Rachel Davis said.

Last week, zoo officials announced that ?presumptively positive? results of COVID-19 tests were returned from the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Georgia for gorillas in all four gorilla troops. The Zoetis vaccine, a specially-made formula for animals for which Zoo Atlanta was authorized and waitlisted, has been administered to other animals -- including other primate species and several big cats.

Wednesday, Rivera said that at-risk gorillas, including a geriatric troop (over 40) with a pair aged 58 and 60 and some gorillas known to have heart disease, were already being given preventative measures, prior to the arrival of the vaccine.

?These individuals were treated with monoclonal antibodies, even before the presence of symptoms, given their advanced age,? he said. ?As in humans, advanced age is considered a higher risk factor for complications in gorillas as well.?

But inoculation will have to wait, for now.

?As the gorillas recover, they will all also be vaccinated,? Rivera said.