Dog Tests Positive for New COVID-19 Virus

A pet dog has tested positive for the new coronavirus in Hong Kong.

A spokesman for Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement that the dog was tested and that the test showed a “weak positive” for the COVID-19 disease, which is a caused by the new virus.

Testing was done after the agency received a referral from the Department of Health about a dog of a patient confirmed to have the new disease. Staff members from the government picked up the dog and collected oral, nasal, and rectal samples.

The nasal and oral cavity samples came back with weak positives.

The dog doesn’t have any symptoms linked to the new virus, the Hong Kong government said. The dog remains under quarantine at a facility for animals at the Hong Kong Port. No other animals are there at the moment.

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

“The Department will conduct close monitoring of the above dog and collect further samples for testing to confirm if the dog has really been infected with the virus or this is a result of environmental contamination of the dog’s mouth and nose. Repeated tests will be conducted for the dog and it will only be returned when the test result is negative.”

David Adams

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