First Cat in U.K. Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Officials Say

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. confirmed its first case of a pet cat testing positive for coronavirus, after the animal apparently caught the disease from its owners.

There is no evidence pets can pass the virus on to humans and the case should not be cause for alarm, officials said. No details of the location of the cat were given, but both the animal and its owners have fully recovered.

“This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date only showing mild clinical signs and recovering within in a few days,” U.K. Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said in a statement. “There is no evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will update our guidance to pet owners should the situation change.”

There have been a very small number of confirmed cases in pets in other countries in Europe, North America and Asia, the government said.

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