Coronavirus: Hong Kong authorities insist pet dog of Covid-19 patient is infected, although some experts say blood test results needed for confirmation

Government consulted international experts to reach the conclusion that it was a case of ‘low-level infection’, senior official says

WHO officials say more studies needed to establish possible transmission involved in the dog’s case

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Officials said the Pomeranian had a ‘low-level infection’ after it repeatedly tested ‘weak positive’. Photo: Facebook

Karen Zhang,Elizabeth CheungandNg Kang-chung

Published: 3:35pm, 5 Mar 2020Updated: 1:39pm, 18 May 2023

Hong Kong’s animal welfare authority insisted on Thursday that a Covid-19 patient’s pet dog was infected with the coronavirus, despite some experts saying that further blood test results are needed to confirm the first human-to-animal transmission of the disease.

Dr Thomas Sit Hon-chung, assistant director of inspection and quarantine at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, said officials had consulted international experts to reach the conclusion that it was a case of “low-level infection”, after the dog repeatedly tested “weak positive” over the past few days.

“We discussed with other experts worldwide in this field. And we are pretty sure that this dog has a low level of infection, and it is confirmed,” he said.

“I believe using the word ‘confirmed’ or ‘infected’ is suitable.”

The initial “weak-positive” reading suggested surface contamination based on mouth and nasal swabs, instead of actual infection, but Sit said that after repeated testing experts were satisfied with the conclusion, even though blood test results were still pending.