British Veterinary Association President Daniella Dos Santos has issued a statement saying there is no evidence that coronavirus can be spread from pets.
She said: “The current advice from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) remains that the predominant route of transmission is human to human.
“Further advice from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association is that there is currently no evidence that pets can be infected with Covid-19 and this remains the case at the time of commenting on Friday 28 February (1.25pm).”
The comment came following reports that a Pomeranian dog in Hong Kong was in quarantine and undergoing further tests following suspicion that it had tested positive for covid-19 (coronavirus).
Authorities in Hong Kong took the decision to quarantine the pet after its 60-year-old owner was diagnosed with the virus. The dog is not reported to have any symptoms or sickness.
They also took the step of announcing that all pets belonging to owners who tested positive for coronavirus would be placed in quarantine for 14 days.
Daniella added: “The reported case of the Pomeranian dog in Hong Kong is undergoing further tests and it would be inappropriate to speculate until we know more. These tests should be able to determine whether the dog tested positive due to environmental contamination from the infected owner.
“Our advice to vets and pet owners is to follow Public Health England and NHS adviceand guidance.”
