North Carolina Dog Confirmed Negative for COVID-19
The USDA confirmed that the North Carolina pug initially thought to be the first US dog to test positive for COVID-19 never had the infection. If you’ve been watching Off Label Veterinary News for the past three months, this is no surprise. Each time stories about SARS-CoV-2 positive dogs and cats have emerged, we’ve cautioned that it’s important to distinguish between an active COVID-19 infection and incidental or “accidental” positive test results that only detect genetic fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We saw similar reporting during the 2003 SARS outbreak, and there is still no evidence that you can get Covid-19 from your pets.
The pugs that tested positive in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by Duke University researchers in April were positive only for genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, not an active infection. The dogs were also not initially tested to determine if they mounted an immune response to the human coronavirus. If the body creates antibodies to a virus, that indicates an actual or “active infection” was or is occurring. When the USDA performed validated followup antibody tests, the North Carolina dogs were negative, proving no active infection with COVID-19.
As we’ve reported many times and now confirmed by the USDA, the dogs most likely picked up living or dead viral particles from their environment, licking the family’s food plates, or direct contact with their pet parents. The test used only looks for fragments of the virus, not an infection, and so the dogs tested positive, or what I call an “accidental or incidental positive test result” due to having the virus in their test sample rather than actually having COVID-19. If the dogs had tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, then we would conclude they had contracted the coronavirus infection. So far, there have been no cases of COVID-19 in dogs anywhere in our country.
The very few cats that have been studied after exposure to SARS-CoV-2 have tested positive for antibody responses, indicating cats may be able to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, at least at very low levels. This is similar to the original 2003 SARS outbreak. With both SARS and COVID-19, there have been no reports of cat-to-human coronavirus transmission anywhere in the world. This is most likely due to the apparent low viral load an infected cat can create. In other words, cats don’t appear to shed very much of this virus, making them highly unlikely to transmit an infection to a human. Of course, this is being closely studied around the world, and the current general consensus is dogs and cats pose very little, if any, risk of spreading COVID-19 to humans.
I’ll keep playing, hanging out on the couch, and allowing my pets on the bed until science proves otherwise.
There continues to be little reason to worry that your dog or cat might spread COVID-19 to you or anyone else.
To keep both you and your pets as safe as possible, here a few guidelines:
If anyone in your family tests positive for COVID-19, keep all pets away from them.
Continue to practice social distancing with your pets when walking or during outdoor activities.
Keep your dogs on a leash and discourage petting by strangers or physical contact with other dogs. Avoid taking them into stores during the Covid outbreak and avoid crowded areas with your pets.
Keep cats indoors. There is limited evidence that infected cats can spread SARS-CoV-2 to other cats.
Bathe your pet frequently, after public outings, if you suspect contact with anyone ill and if anyone in your household contracts Covid-19.
I have to say it again because apparently this is still a thing on the internet: Do not use bleach or other disinfectant wipes or solutions on your pets. Licking these residues is toxic.