Can companion animals become infected with Covid-19?

• Published in: Veterinary record Vol. 186; no. 13; pp. 419 - 420
• Main Author: Almendros, Angel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Limited 04.04.2020; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Animals; Betacoronavirus - isolation & purification; Cat Diseases - diagnosis; Cat Diseases - transmission; Cats; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; Coronavirus Infections - veterinary; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease transmission; Dog Diseases - diagnosis; Dog Diseases - transmission; Dogs; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Infections; Pandemics - veterinary; Pets; Pets - virology; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Pneumonia, Viral - veterinary; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Zoonoses; Hong Kong
• ISSN: 0042-4900; 2042-7670
• DOI: 10.1136/vr.m1322

email: afalm@cityuvmc.com.hk Following previous reports of Covid-19 infection in two dogs in Hong Kong earlier in February and March,1-4 further test results have been released by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (GHKSAR), changing the serology interpretation previously reported (VR, 28 March 2020, vol 186, pp 388–389).3, 5 Despite several positive RT-PCR results suggesting a true infection in a Pomeranian dog, the dog had initially tested negative for antibodies specific to Covid-19 on a blood sample taken on 3 March 2020. Similarities in gene sequencing (performed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department [AFCD] of Hong Kong and the School of Public Health of HKU) from the infected pet owner and the dog additionally supported human-to-animal transmission. The cat had tested positive to Covid-19 on RT-PCR from oral, nasal and faecal samples but did not show any clinical signs of disease.6 Positive viral SARS-CoV-2 genes were also recently found in vomit and faeces from a cat tested at the University of Liège in Belgium, but more information is needed before any conclusions can be made.