COVID-19 Watch: Second Dog Test Positive For Coronavirus

A second Dog has tested positive for coronavirus in the city Hong Kong. The Dog is reportedly a German shepherd of two years old, the owner had previously been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Pok Fu Lam.

The Dog which was quarantined with another Dog tested positive while the other Dog currently tested negative.

“It is very likely that the two positive cases [in Hong Kong] are examples of human-to-dog transmission,” Professor Malik Peiris of University of Hong Kong said in the report. “We will also follow up on the mixed-breed dog, but it has tested negative.” Peiris, who’s also a public health virologist at the university, said the plan now is for blood tests to be conducted.

“Our pets can be a source of comfort for us, and not another source of concern, during this evolving Covid-19 environment,” said Dr. Jim Blacka, a veterinarian with IDEXX’s Companion Animal Commercial Business. “Data from IDEXX shows no cases to date of the novel coronavirus in thousands of dog and cat samples tested, which is good news for pets and the people who care for them,” he added.

The WHO and U.S.’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a statement saying there is no evidence that companion animals such as cats and dogs can spread the virus. “Therefore, there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals which may compromise their welfare.”

Source: Marketwatch