Coronavirus infects second dog in US, officials say
The confirmed case marks the second dog in the US known to test positive for the virus that causes COVID-19
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A dog in Georgia has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, health officials announced last week. The confirmed case marks the second dog in the U.S. known to test positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, officials said.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, the 6-year-old mixed-breed dog had a sudden onset of neurological illness that progressed quickly over a couple of days.
“The owners of the dog recently tested positive for COVID-19, but the dog did not have any evidence of respiratory disease,” per the news release. The dog was tested “out of an abundance of caution,” officials wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The dog’s progressive neurological illness was said to be caused by another condition, and officials said the dog was humanely euthanized.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the positive result.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The news comes after a German shepherd in New York officially became the country’s first dog to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 on June 2, according to the USDA.
According to the announcement made last month, the dog was expected to make a full recovery after “it showed signs of respiratory illness.”
Fox News has reached out to the USDA with a request for comment.
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"One of the dog’s owners tested positive for COVID-19, and another showed symptoms consistent with the virus, prior to the dog showing signs,” officials said, noting that a second dog in the household tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.
According to the USDA, these infections have been reported in a small number of animals worldwide, most of which were animals in close contact with people sick with COVID-19.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press and Fox News’ Madeline Farber contributed to this report.