1st Dog To Test Positive for Coronavirus Dies in Hong Kong

The first known dog to test positive for the coronavirus has passed away in Hong Kong. The New York Post reports the 17-year-old Pomeranian died on Monday after apparently recovering from the disease. The dog’s owner was a 60-year-old woman who also had the virus and recovered. Her Pomeranian had been isolated in a government facility from February 26 to March 14.

Its blood tests came back negative for the virus on March 12, so it was returned home. “The department learned from the dog’s owner that it had passed away on March 16,” the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in a statement. “The owner said she was not willing to [allow] an autopsy to examine the cause of death.” This dog is thought to be the first known case of human-to-animal transmission of the coronavirus.