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Pennsylvania's first case of COVID-19 in a cat raises questions

The Pa. Department of Agriculture said there is no evidence that animals can spread the virus to humans

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — There are questions after Pennsylvania's first case of COVID-19 in a cat was found in Cumberland County. Officials said it's one of only a handful of cats across the country that have contracted the virus.

Shannon Powers with the Pa. Department of Agriculture said there is no evidence that animals can spread the coronavirus to humans.

"Ya know people have been asking that question a lot," Powers said. "It's a possibility especially because viruses mutate but at this point there have been no reports."

In this case of the 16-year-old cat in Cumberland County that contracted COVID-19, multiple family members in the house had been previously diagnosed with it. 

RELATED: Officials confirm Pennsylvania's first COVID-19 positive cat in Cumberland County

Which raises the question - why test the cat in the first place?

"There's such a link between animal health and human health," Powers said. "Anything we find out from the animal population can really advance science for controlling COVID among humans."

The test is similar to the human nasal swab. It's called a real time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which looks for the gene that indicates the virus is present.

Symptoms of COVID-19 in pets include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting among others.

FOX43 asked if there were any outstanding feline COVID-19 tests in the state.

"Oh that's a really good question," Powers said. "I don't know the answer to that. The priority right now is for humans."

Powers said at this point there still are a lot of questions regarding animals and COVID-19 because this is all so new.

If you think your pet has the virus and has been exposed, contact your vet first. They will determine if a sample should be submitted to the pa veterinary lab for testing.

"Your animals are like any other family member," Powers said. "If you're sick, you should treat them with the same kind of care to avoid infecting them with whatever you have."

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