Household dog in Tarrant County tests positive for COVID-19 after owners contract virus
SHIJIAZHUANG, CHINA - MARCH 06: A woman with her pet dog, both wearing face masks, walks on street amid novel coronavirus spread on March 6, 2020 in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province of China. (Photo by Zhai Yujia/China News Service via Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, Texas - A household dog in Tarrant County has tested positive for COVID-19, state health officials confirmed.
The USDA’s Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed on Thursday that a dog in Tarrant County has tested positive for the novel virus.
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Officials say a private veterinarian chose to test the dog for COVID-19 after its owners were confirmed to have the virus. Veterinary clinic staff all wore PPE while handling the dog. The veterinarian reports the two-year-old dog is healthy at this time.
“Based on current knowledge, there is no evidence that pets play a significant role in spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people,” said Dr. Andy Schwartz, State Veterinarian. “It’s always important to restrict contact with your pets and other animals, just like you would other people, if you are infected with COVID-19 in order to protect them from infection.”
While this is the first confirmed animal detection in Texas, this is not the first in the United States. The USDA is tracking all positive results in animals on its website. At this time, routine testing of animals is not recommended.
Anyone who may be sick with COVID-19 is urged to restrict contact with their pets and other animals.
Health officials are working closing with the CDC.