RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina officials on Tuesday reported the first confirmed case of coronavirus in a dog that died last week at the North Carolina State University Veterinary Hospital.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus was confirmed by both the hospital lab and by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories. The dog's cause of death is still undetermined.
The dog was taken to N.C. State on Aug. 3 after showing signs of respiratory distress, officials said. The owner told staff at the veterinary hospital that a family member had previously tested positive for coronavirus.
"It would be a fair assumption that the virus came from the household to the pet, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what caused the disease or that’s what caused the death of this patient," said Dr. Steven Marks, associate dean and director of Veterinary Medical Services at N.C. State's College of Veterinary Medicine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), there is no evidence that pets play a significant role in spreading the virus.
"Dogs that you have seen throughout the U.S., and cats too that are positive, they had to have been exposed somewhere," State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Carl Williams said. "The likelihood is, due to widespread community transmission among people, they are probably exposed to infected people, and that’s how they have come in contact with the virus."
In April, a pug in Chapel Hill was believed to have tested positive for the virus in one of the first cases in the U.S. of a family pet with the virus. But further testing later showed that the dog likely never had the virus, although human members of the household did.
“There is no indication at this time that dogs can transmit the virus to other animals, so there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare,” State Veterinarian Dr. Doug Meckes said in a statement.
Still, state and federal officials plan to evaluate other pets in the home of the dog that died to determine if pet-to-pet transmission may have occurred.
Only 13 other dogs nationwide have tested positive for coronavirus, according to APHIS, including a second one in North Carolina.
“I think this is hopefully a rare event but certainly not something that’s outside the realm of possibility," Williams said.
If pet owners are concerned about the health of their dog or cat, officials said, they should contact their veterinarian and discuss the pet’s symptoms before bringing them to a veterinary office.
“The pet is a family member, and it scares me also if my daughter gets it, but it’s just part of what we’re facing right now," local pet owner Diana Salazar said.