This undated electron microscope image, made available by the US National Institutes of Health in February 2020, shows the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The virus, also known as 2019-nCoV, causes Covid-19. – Photo by NIAID-RML via AP
A nine-month-old domestic cat in central Arkansas tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 in humans, the Arkansas Department of Health confirmed.
Health Department spokeswoman Danyelle McNeill said a neighborhood veterinarian decided to test the cat after seeing “unusual signs of illness” and refusing the cat’s owner to test positive for covid-19.
The vet told the Department of Health that by this point the cat appears to be healthy and healthy again, McNeill said.
According to the Ministry of Health, animals and pets can be infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 in humans.
If a person tests positive for the virus, the department recommends limiting contact with pets and other animals to prevent the spread.
The department recommends that an infected person have a family member or friend look after pets while they are sick. If an infected person does not have access to other precautions for the animal, the department recommends avoiding petting, cuddling, licking, eating and sleeping together on the same bed as the animal.
The department recommends that an infected person wear cloth covering and wash their hands before and after feeding or handling the pet, or handling the pet’s food or water.
According to the Ministry of Health, information about the risk of spreading Covid-19 from pets is limited to humans. However, the risk is classified as low.
