Dog Tested Positive of Coronavirus, Sparking Fears That The Disease May Also Spread Among Our Pets

• Hong Kong medical experts announced that a dog, whose owner has been infected by coronavirus, was also tested “weak positive.”
• Experts are not ruling out the possibility of infections among pets.
• However, the first pet to be positive of coronavirus did not show some flu-like symptoms.

After a Chinese pet owner tested positive of the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19), the patient’s dog was also tested and was diagnosed positive of the disease. The animal, however, only contracted a “weak” strain.

Hong Kong authorities announced that the dog is now under quarantine at the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD), and is closely being monitored by experts.

According to reports, medical team found the dog’s rectal, nasal, and oral samples to be positive of a “weak” strain of the dreaded disease.

Interestingly, however, the dog didn’t show any common symptoms of the virus. They also added that, at the moment, it still remains unclear if the infection can be transferred to human.

“At present, the AFCD does not have evidence that pet animals can be infected with COVID-19 virus or can be a source of infection to people,” the department said in a statement.

The World Health Organization has previously ruled out the possible transmission of the virus from human to pets or vice versa.

The Hong Kong authority also said that, despite the development on the dog-patient, there is still no definitive proof that animals can be infected by the virus nor can they be a “source of infection to people”.

AFCD also assured that they will closely monitor the dog and will collect more swab samples for testing to re-confirm if it is actually positive of the disease or if it’s just a form of “environmental contamination” on the dog’s mouth and nose.

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