Hong Kong Dog Likely First Human-to-Animal Coronavirus Infection
- The pet Pomeranian has not shown any symptoms of the disease
- Dog belongs to a coronavirus patient and remains in quarantine
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The pet dog of a coronavirus patient in Hong Kong has been confirmed to be infected with a “low level” of the virus, marking what’s likely the first known instance of human-to-animal transmission.
The dog had tested “weak positive” for the virus last week, raising the question of whether it had been contaminated by traces of the virus in its surroundings or genuinely infected with a disease that has now claimed more than 3,200 lives globally. Further tests confirmed the virus in the pet’s nasal and oral cavities, “which indicates a low-level of infection,” Hong Kong’s agricultural and fisheries department said in statement late Wednesday.