Smithsonian Voices

From the Smithsonian Museums

How Does a Disease Transfer from an Animal to a Human and Back?

COVID-19 has taken over world headlines since it first emerged in December of 2019. As the disease spread into a pandemic, scientists have scrambled to learn as much about it as quickly as possible. An early bright spot in the overwhelmingly negative news about COVID-19 was that it was believed pets could not get or carry the virus. However, recently a tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19, which opened the questions: Can I infect my pet or another animal? And can an infected animal infect me?

Halloween crabs are known for their orange and black pattern.

7 Animals That Were Made For Halloween

A red panda at Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Fun Facts About Red Pandas

(moisseyev/iStock/Thinkstock)

Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?

Starfish and other echinoderms are extremely important to the biodiversity of our oceans. (Image: Comstock Images/Stockbyte/Thinkstock)

All About Starfish