Pet dog of coronavirus victim tests positive for infection

[dufus]

The dog, which belongs to a 60-year-old woman in Hong Kong, has no 'relevant symptoms'

 

A pet dog has been quarantined at an animal centre in Hong Kong after it tested positive to low levels of the new coronavirus. 

 

The dog, which belongs to a 60-year-old woman infected with the virus, has no "relevant symptoms", the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said.

 

But "nasal and oral cavity samples were tested weak positive to COVID-19 virus," a spokesman said. The dog has been moved from its residence to a specialised facility in the city for closer observation. 

 

No other animals are using the animal-keeping facility at the moment, and authorities have said staff will step up cleaning and disinfecting procedures.

 

Additional tests will be done to “confirm if the dog has really been infected with the virus or [if] this is a result of environmental contamination of the dog’s mouth and nose,” the government said in a statement. 

 

The spokesman said that to ensure public and animal health, the department strongly advise mammalian pets of patients confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 virus to be put under quarantine by the AFCD.

 

The pets will be delivered to the designated animal keeping facilities of the AFCD for quarantine and veterinary surveillance for 14 days. Samples will be collected for testing of COVID-19 virus as appropriate.

 

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

The World Health Organization has advised the same, saying that there is “no evidence” companion animals or pets, such as dogs or cats, can be infected by the new coronavirus. 

 

The novel coronavirus spreading around the world is thought to have transferred to humans from bats, and has infected more than 83,700 globally and killed 2,860. Hong Kong has confirmed 93 cases, and two deaths from the virus.

 

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