Duke reports COVID-19 detected in a dog

RALEIGH, N.C. — Duke Health said Monday night it has detected the virus that causes COVID-19 in a family’s pet dog, possibly the first time the virus has been confirmed in a dog.

The finding, first reported by WRAL, occurred in a Chapel Hill household in which the mother, father and a son enrolled in a study at Duke and tested positive for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The family decided to have their pug Winston tested as well after they noticed him making a gagging sound and not eating breakfast one day, which was unusual for him, Dr. Heather McLean, the mom and a Duke pediatrician, told the station.

“To our knowledge, this is the first instance in which the virus has been detected in a dog,” Dr. Chris Woods, director of the Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health, said in a statement released by Duke Health.

“Little additional information is known at this time as we work to learn more about the exposure,” he said.

The family’s daughter, a second dog and a cat tested negative for the virus, according to WRAL A lizard was not tested.

The COVID-19 outbreak is thought to have originated in a live animal market in China.

The first known case in the United States of an animal testing positive for the virus was a tiger with a respiratory illness who may have been infected by an employee with the virus at a New York City Zoo.

In general, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the types of coronaviruses that infect animals rarely spread to people and the risk of getting COVID-19 from an animal is considered to be low.

Still, the CDC recommends people treat their pets like family members.