NC pug apparently first dog in U.S. to test positive for coronavirus

Author: CBS News
Published: Updated:
Winston, the pug. (MCLEAN FAMILY)

The pet dog of a family taking part in a study at Duke University is apparently the first in the U.S. to test positive for the virus that causesĀ COVID-19.

Dr. Chris Woods, the lead investigator of the Molecular and Epidemiological Study of Suspected Infection (MESSI), confirmed in a statement to CBS News that, “To our knowledge, this is the first instance in which the virus has been detected in a dog. Little additional information is known at this time as we work to learn more about the exposure.”

Early last month,Ā Hong Kong health authorities saidĀ a coronavirus patient’s petĀ dog that tested positiveĀ for the virus was “likely” the first case of human-to-animal transmission. Since then there have beenĀ several cases reported in cats, but research shows dogs are not very susceptible to the virus.

WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, which was first to report the U.S. development, said the dog, a pug named Winston, is part of a family in Chapel Hill.

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