A dog in Hong Kong tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after staying with its owners, who were sick with the virus. A report from the World Organisation for Animal Health says that the dog wasn’t showing any clinical signs of the disease. Therefore there is no evidence that the animal can fall ill. They also are not sure if dogs can spread the disease, and there is no evidence that pets have infected humans with Covid-19. Further studies are needed to find answers concerning pets and coronavirus.
Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) tested the dog. It wrote in a facts sheet about the case:
“The dog has a low-level of infection and it is likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission. We strongly advise that mammalian pet animals including dogs and cats from households with … infected persons should be put under quarantine … to safeguard public and animal health.”
Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) now advises pet owners who are infected or susceptible to being infected with the coronavirus to avoid close contact with their pets. If possible, it would be preferred to have another member of the household care for the animal(s). If there is nobody else that can take care of the pet(s), then wear a mask and wash your hands regularly. For more information about how to handle pet health amid the epidemic, click here.
Science spoke with a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine about the risks of COVID-19 infection in pets. Her name is Shelley Rankin. Her lab is part of a collective of veterinary diagnostic labs – called the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network – dedicated to helping determine the impact of the pandemic on pets and other animals. In the interview, she advises pet owners to include animals in the family’s preparedness planning. She says that pets can be quarantined either in a hospital or at home in a separate room away from people.
