The dog belonged to a Jockey Club member who had contracted the virus along with his domestic helper. The duo was among the 94 cases that were reported in Hong Kong, two of which died.

The city’s department of agriculture, fisheries, and conservation earlier said that the pooch had not shown any symptoms of the disease. Also, there was no prior evidence that pets could be infected by the virus or had the ability to pass on the disease.

The dog would only be returned to his owner, once the tests come out as negative. The department told reporters that the Pomeranian who belonged to confirmed patients would be sent to a designated facility for veterinary surveillance for a total of fourteen days. Samples from the animal would be tested when it would be deemed appropriate.

A representative of the Center for Health Protection said that three pets, including a cat and two dogs, had been sent for quarantine.

Technical head for WHO’s health emergencies program, Maria Van Kerkhove told news outlets that the department was trying to comprehend whether the dog was actually infected or the pooch picked it up from a contaminated surface.

Maria added that the World Health Organization would try to understand what steps were taken and how the animals which have tested positive would be treated.

The authorities have been following up on the case, and up till now, no confirmation of whether the dog had tested positive because of environmental contamination or actual infection has come out.

Global health chiefs will also be working with Hong Kong authorities who are looking into the case of the Pomeranian that tested “weak positive” for coronavirus.



Image source: MSN