A cat in Belgium has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first known feline to contract the infectious disease.
It is believed that the cat contracted the virus from its owner, who started showing symptoms about a week ago. The sick cat tested positive after showing symptoms typical of COVID-19, the Brussels Times reported.
Professor Steven Van Gucht, a Doctoral Researcher at Ghent University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine reported that the cat had diarrhea, was vomiting and had breathing difficulties one week after its owner; a Belgian woman from the Liège province, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Worldwide, it has been highly exceptional for the virus to pass from human to animal. So far, only three cases where the pet has been infected by humans are known across the world. It concerns two dogs in Hong Kong, and now a cat in Belgium. Both dogs did not show any signs of disease, but the cat has respiratory and digestive disorders, according to the Federal Food Agency.
Image by scott payne from Pixabay
