Coronavirus: Dog tests positive as fear over pets mounts

Coronavirus, the deadly disease ravaging the world has affected a pet dog.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong’s agriculture, fisheries and conservation department said this in a statement Friday, CBS reports

Dogs, cats and other pets owned by confirmed coronavirus patients must now undergo a 14-day quarantine, it added.

The department explained that the dog was found to have a “low level” of the virus.

The department said the pet, whose owner was infected with coronavirus, tested “weak positive” after its nasal and rectal tests.

“The nasal and oral cavity samples were tested weak positive to COVID-19 virus department. The dog does not have any relevant symptoms”, it said

This is the first reported case since the outbreak two months ago.

Coronavirus has claimed nearly 3,000 lives, mostly in China where the first case was reported in Wuhan.

The disease has now been confirmed in more than 50 countries including Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation.