Previously, a pet dog in Hong Kong had a weak positive response to the new coronavirus test. Now, Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) arranged a new serum test for it and the dog's serum report was negative.
The AFCD stated that samples have been taken from the dog for testing five times from late February to the present, and small amounts of the new coronavirus have been detected from its oral and nasal samples.
The AFCD performed a serum test for the pet dog on March 3, and the result was negative. This indicates that the pet dog's immune system does not have a strong immune response. It also shows that the antibodies in its blood are not sufficient to be measured at this stage.
The AFCD said that a negative serum test does not mean that the pet dog is not infected with the virus. In the past, humans were infected with other types of coronavirus. If there are no symptoms or the symptoms are mild, antibodies may not be produced in the body.
In addition, it usually takes 14 days or more for the body to produce enough antibodies to be measured, so tests for early infection may be negative, and the department will later arrange blood tests for the pet dog.
The AFCD, together with the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong, genetically sequenced the new coronavirus in the dog and its close-confirmed person. The results showed that the virus sequencing of the two was very similar. Infect the dog.
The pet dog has no symptoms associated with the new coronavirus and is being quarantined at the animal shelter at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port. The AFCD will continue to monitor closely and arrange repeated tests until the result is negative before returning the dog to its owner.
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