Pet cat in England tests positive for Covid-19
LONDON — A pet cat in England has tested positive for Covid-19, the first confirmed case in an animal in the U.K. and one of very few worldwide.
The U.K.'s Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said that it was "a very rare event" and there was no evidence to suggest that pets transmit the coronavirus to humans. The cat is thought to have contracted the virus from its owners, who had tested positive and since made a full recovery — as has the cat.
British authorities referred the case to the World Organisation for Animal Health, which is monitoring incidents of the coronavirus in animals.
Public Health England's Medical Director Yvonne Doyle said the case should "not be a cause for alarm."
"The investigation into this case suggests that the infection was spread from humans to animal, and not the other way round," she said.
A private vet initially diagnosed feline herpes virus, a respiratory infection, but it was also tested for the coronavirus by the U.K.'s Animal and Plant Health Agency in Weybridge, south east England, as part of a research program.
There was no evidence that the cat had passed on the virus to other animals, the U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.
People in the U.K. have been advised to wash their hands after coming into contact with animals, as part of general Covid-19 guidance to wash hands regularly.