First known cat infected with coronavirus reported in Belgium

A pet cat in Belgium has become the first known feline to suffer from COVID-19.
Officials in the city of Liege said on Friday that they believe that the cat’s owner spread the illness to the pet. The feline was tested after it began showing tell-tale symptoms of the flu-like illness, including difficulty breathing.
“The cat had diarrhea, kept vomiting, and had breathing difficulties. The researchers found the virus in the cat’s feces,” said professor Steven Van Gucht. It is not clear how the cat or the owner are doing. The professor also highlighted that transmission of the disease from an animal to a human is very unlikely.
“We want to stress that this is an isolated case,” he said. “The risk of animal-to-human transmission is very small.”
The cat isn’t the first pet to contract the coronavirus. A dog in Hong Kong was quarantined last month after it tested positive for “low levels” of the virus. The dog was owned by a woman who also had the illness. The 17-year-old Pomeranian died shortly after returning home from its quarantine.
 https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/27/woman-infects-cat-coronavirus
 Coronavirus Update: Belgian Woman Infects Pet Cat with COVID-19; Should We Isolate Our Pets Too?
 https://nationalpost.com/news/world/hong-kong-dog-who-tested-positive-for-coronavirus-dies-days-
 https://nationalpost.com/pmn/environment-pmn/quarantined-dog-tests-negative-for-coronavirus-in-hk

Woman infects cat with coronavirus in third known human-to-animal transmission

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