August 06, 2020, 05:26 PM
A Scottish short-haired cat and a Yorkshire Terrier dog in Hong Kong have tested positive for Covid-19.
The two cases are not linked.
The animals live in two separate areas of Hong Kong: Tsuen Wan in New Territories, and Sham Shui Po in Kowloon, according to public broadcasting service RTHK.
Both pets are asymptomatic
The owners of the pets had been in close contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases.
The cat and the dog were subsequently quarantined at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on July 31.
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, an AFCD spokesman said that samples collected from the pets came back positive for Covid-19.
Neither of the animals have showed any symptoms.
AFCD will continue to monitor them closely and repeat the Covid-19 test on them.
The spokesman also said that there is currently no evidence that pets play a role in the spread of human infection of Covid-19.
He added that owners should not abandon their pets.
According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the total number of confirmed Covid-19 infections among animals in Hong Kong is now eight.
World's first Covid-19 case in a pet was also reported in Hong Kong
Hong Kong reported the world’s first known case of Covid-19 infection in a pet in late February 2020.
The 17-year-old Pomeranian dog later died of unrelated causes, according to SCMP.
It belonged to a confirmed Covid-19 patient.
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