New Delhi: A German shepherd in New York has officially become the country’s first dog to test positive for the novel coronavirus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on June 2.
The dog is believed to have been infected by its owner, who also tested positive for the virus, and is expected to make a full recovery. There is no evidence to date that pets can spread the virus to people.
The dog had been showing signs of respiratory illness after his owner tested positive for the virus. A private veterinary laboratory initially tested the dog and got a presumptive positive result. Additional testing by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the lab’s result—the standard procedure to officially ascertain a positive case of COVID-19 in an animal.