Beavers in Mongolia test COVID positive

At least seven beavers in Mongolia have tested positive for COVID-19, the country's National Centre for Zoonotic Diseases (NCZD) said.

"Workers of the Beaver Breeding Centre at the Environmental Department of the capital Ulan Bator tested positive for the COVID-19 in August. After that, the Delta variant were detected in seven beavers," Nyamdorj Tsogbadrakh, director of the NCZD, told local media on Saturday.

It is the first time that COVID-19 has been detected in animals in Mongolia, Xinhua news agency quoted Tsogbadrakh as saying.

The infected beavers showed symptoms of cough, runny nose, sticky eyes and others, he said, adding that the animals have already recovered from the disease.

The disease has spread to the capital city and all 21 provinces of the country, and the Delta variant, in particular, has been detected in the capital and 20 provinces.

Mongolia, with a population of around 3.4 million, has registered a total of 252,648 Covid-19 cases, with 1,021 deaths.