Several apes at the San Diego Zoo are taking part in a COVID vaccine trial with a formula specifically manufactured for animals. National Geography reports, “An orangutan named Karen, the first in the world to have open-heart surgery in 1994, has made medical history again: She’s among the first great apes to get a COVID-19 vaccine.”
After a troop of eight western lowland gorillas got sick in January, San Diego Zoo staff received experimental COVID-19 vaccines to give to great apes in their care, including bonobos and orangutans https://t.co/TVTHQID8bK
— National Geographic (@NatGeo) March 3, 2021
Back in January, eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park were the first in the world to test positive for coronavirus.
The vaccine is experimental. It was developed for/tested for safety and efficacy in dogs and cats. Results showed that the animals in the study mounted strong antibody responses to the vax. It's being tested in mink as well. The San Diego Zoo apes were the first apes to get it.
— Natasha Daly (@natashaldaly) March 3, 2021
Nat Geo reports that “Blood drawn from Karen the orangutan and one of the bonobos will soon show whether they developed antibodies, the presence of which would indicate that the vaccine may be working.”
If this trial works, it’s something that veterinarians will celebrate. CBS adds:
Infections have also been confirmed in dogs, cats, mink, tigers, lions and several other animals around the world. However, great apes are a particular concern among conservationists.
Watch more from CBS News above.
