Pug in North Carolina Tests Positive For COVID-19, First Case of Coronavirus in Dogs Reported in US
A first case from the US of Coronavirus in dogs has been reported. A pet pug named Winston from North Carolina tested positive for COVID 19. Researchers from the Duke University said its the first known case of the virus in a dog in the United States.
The deadly Coronavirus spread is not just limited to humans anymore. Animals are also getting contracted by COVID 19. From pet cats and dog to wild animals like tigers and lions, there are numerous reports coming in from different parts of the world. Now a first case from the US of Coronavirus in dogs has been reported. A pet pug named Winston from North Carolina tested positive for COVID 19. Researchers from the Duke University said its the first known case of the virus in a dog in the United States. The news comes in just a week after two cats from New York were detected positive for COVID 19.
As per reports, the McLeans family residing in Chapel Hill were tested positive and being studied by the Duke University to understand how humans respond to different types of infection. While the mother, father and son were positive, the daughter and their cat tested negative. As per reports, the dog's symptoms were mild and only lasted for a few days. Winston experienced sneezing and was breathing heavily, he did not eat breakfast on a certain day. The family had taken part in the Molecular and Epidemiological Study of Suspected Infection (MESSI) research study on April 1.
Dr. John Howe, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, in NY Times report, the dog could've licked something/someone with the virus which made his test positive. He added that pugs sneeze everyday so he may not be fully infected. "I don’t believe he was truly infected — you would need to do an antibody test." He also added that pets cannot catch it from their owners. Can Pet Cats and Dogs Get Coronavirus From Humans? Here’s Everything You Should Know About Human to Animal Transmission of COVID-19.
This is not the first time dogs have tested positive for COVID 19. In early March, a pet dog in Hong Kong was found infected with the coronavirus. Although the dog was "weak positive" it was kept in quarantine for two weeks as a precaution. Around March 20, the second case of a dog positive with Coronavirus was reported from Hong Kong once again. At the moment, the reported cases of coronavirus in animals included the tigers and lions from Bronx Zoo, minks from the Netherlands and the newly reported pet cats and dogs.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 30, 2020 12:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).