State health and agriculture officials are investigating after the coronavirus was found in a dead cat, officials said Thursday.
The Alabama Department of Public Health said testing confirmed that a deceased cat in Opelika tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the strain of the virus that causes COVID-19. Veterinary pathologists don’t believe the virus was the primary cause of the cat’s death because it had signs of a bacterial infection.
Cases of SARS-CoV-2 in animals are thought to be very rare, and have primarily occurred 5 to 10 days following exposure to a positive human, state health officials said. The department said less than 10 animal deaths in the United States are thought to have been associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Dee W. Jones, state public health veterinarian, said there seems to be no evidence suggesting that companion animals are responsible for infecting people.
Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
