With the COVID -19 Pandemic creating many challenges today, we thought we would provide information to help you understand the condition and reduce any risk to you or your furry family members.
A novel coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of Hong Kong reported on March 4th, 2020 a pet dog had repeatedly tested weak positive for SARS-CoV-2. This is consistent with a low level of infection. The transmission was most likely human to animal, as the dog lived with a human that tested positive for the virus. The pet was quarantined for 14 days and never developed clinical signs. Sadly, the pet passed away shortly after its quarantine from unrelated causes.
Although this case is concerning, we don’t really know if SARS-CoV-2 can infect dogs, cats and other animals. The World Health Organization stated there is no evidence at present that dogs and cats can be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or develop ...