6 Mar 2020
The WSAVA has updated its detailed advice and its response to reports from Hong Kong of a dog testing weakly positive for COVID-19.
James Westgate
Job Title
The WSAVA has updated its advisory following further information from the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on the dog of an infected owner that has tested “weakly positive” for COVID-19.
The new information contained in the advisory is:
Reports from Hong Kong on 28 February indicated that the pet dog of an infected patient had tested “weakly positive” to COVID-19 after routine testing.
Testing at both the Hong Kong government veterinary laboratory (AFCD) and the World Health Organization-accredited diagnostic human coronavirus laboratory at The University of Hong Kong detected a low viral load in the nasal and oral swabs.
Both laboratories used the real-time reverse transcriptase PCR method and the results indicated a small quantity of COVID-19 viral RNA was present in the samples. They did not, however, indicate whether the samples contained intact virus particles that were infectious, or just fragments of the RNA that were not contagious.
The dog, which is showing no relevant clinical signs, was removed from the household that was the possible source of contamination on 26 February.
Retesting was performed after the dog was put under quarantine, to determine whether it was infected or whether its mouth and nose were being contaminated with COVID-19 virus from the household.
The AFCD’s document stated no evidence exists at this time that mammalian pet animals – including dogs and cats – could be a source of infection to other animals or humans.
The WSAVA urged pet owners in areas with known human cases of COVID-19 to continue to follow the information in its advisory, including washing their hands when interacting with their pets and, if sick, wearing face masks around them.
