New York: A German shepherd named ‘Buddy’, was the first confirmed case of coronavirus infection in a pet dog in the United States. The pet German Shepard has died here, according to a report.
In June, the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) had announced the dog testing positive for coronavirus. Now with the death of the German shepherd, it has been proven that coronavirus can kill animals too.
Prior to the dog showing signs, one of its owners, Robert Mahoney, had tested positive for COVID-19. Another owner had symptoms consistent with the virus.
The owners told ‘National Geographic’ that Buddy developed breathing problems in mid-April. This came after Mahoney had been sick with coronavirus for several weeks.
According to the report, Buddy’s health declined steadily after he developed breathing problems and thick nasal mucus in April. He was euthanised July 11 after he started vomiting clotted blood.
It is still unknown whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus played a role in Buddy’s death. Blood tests indicated the dog may have had lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system.
According to the USDA, there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the coronavirus. However, coronavirus may spread from people to animals in some situations.
The evidence for this was reported in a study of two dogs in Hong Kong, published in May in the journal Nature. They both showed evidence of infection with the virus. However, both the dogs are still alive according to reports.