MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — State health and agriculture officials are investigating after the coronavirus was found in a dead cat.
The Alabama Department of Public Health said Thursday testing confirmed that a deceased cat in Opelika tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the strain of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Coronavirus cases in animals are thought to be very rare. The department said less than 10 animal deaths in the United States are thought to have been associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Dee W. Jones, state public health veterinarian, said there seems to be no evidence suggesting that companion animals are responsible for infecting people.