Two cats in the US have tested positive of Covid-19 making them the first animal to contact the virus



Two cats in New York have tested positive for the novel Coronavirus, making them the first pets in the US known to be infected with the disease. 

“These are the first pets in the United States to test positive,” the US Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday in a joint statement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agencies emphasized that there is no evidence pets play a role in spreading coronavirus in the United States. “There is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare,” they said.

The two cats were tested after they showed respiratory symptoms, according to the agencies, and they join the ranks of a lion and a tiger in New York who were previously confirmed to be infected.