By Alex Glenn • Published: 09 Feb 2021 • 9:16
South Korea Launches COVID Tests for Pet Cats and Dogs Credit: Pixabay
SOUTH KOREA launches COVID tests for pet cats and dogs, but it will only be used if an animal shows symptoms of the virus.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has said that in the South Korean capital pet cats and dogs will need to be tested for COVID-19 if they begin to show symptoms and have been near infected humans. This comes only weeks after the first animal-related COVID-19 case was reported in the country. The first case was identified in a tiny kitten and is thought to have come from humans.
Around the world only a handful of animals have tested positive for the potentially deadly virus including lions and tigers at New York’s Bronx Zoo. Spain saw lions become infected at the Barcelona zoo and only last month the San Diego Zoo Safari Park found two of their gorillas had unfortunately contracted the virus.
In South Korea if the pets are found to be positive they will then need to quarantine at home. According to a Yonhap report, disease control official Park Yoo-mi, has explained that it will not be necessary for pets to go into an isolation facility as no evidence has been found that animals can pass the virus on to humans.
Currently in South Korea anyone testing positive for COVID-19 is normally placed in a quarantine facility assuming they do not require treatment in hospital.
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Originally from the UK, Alex is based in Almeria and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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