The coronavirus pandemic has proven no one is safe — and now it looks like our pets could be in danger too.
According to the South China Morning Post, a pet cat has tested positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong after being infected by its owner. The cat is the second domestic cat to be diagnosed with the virus.
The city’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) tested the animal — via oral cavity, nasal and rectal samples — after the owner, a 25-year-old old woman, contracted the virus. While the cat hasn’t shown any symptoms, the woman is reportedly in serious condition.
The cat in Hong Kong is the second feline to have tested positive for COVID-19. The first human-to-animal transmission was a cat in Belgium who was infected from their owner, a little over a week after they had returned from Northern Italy, one of the global hot spots of the pandemic.
Unlike the short-haired pet in Hong Kong, the feline in Belgium had developed symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting and respiratory issues. According to Steven Van Gucht, virologist and federal spokesperson for the coronavirus epidemic in Belgium, the cat recovered after nine days.
The news of the cats being infected with the virus came after it was reported two dogs in Hong Kong — a German shepherd and a Pomeranian — had tested positive.
While both dogs reportedly had low levels of COVID-19 and were both asymptomatic, the Pomeranian, who was 17-years-old, died after being released from quarantine. The German shepherd has repeatedly tested positive, but has remained in quarantine.
According to health experts, there have been no recorded cases of humans contracting the virus from their pets.
“We do not have evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19,” writes the Center for Disease Prevention (CDC).
However, the CDC advises that if you even think you might have the coronavirus “you should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just like you would around other people.”
To read more of our coverage on the coronavirus, click here.
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