Pet owners are warned to take care after a cat in the UK was diagnosed with Covid-19.
The female Siamese is now the first animal in the UK confirmed to have caught the virus, The Guardian reports.
After originally being diagnosed with feline herpes, the cat tested positive for Covid-19 as part of a screening programme at the Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.
It's believed the feline caught Covid-19 from its owner.
Both have recovered and health officials say there's no cause for alarm.
In a statement, Public Health England medical director Yvonne Doyle said it should "not be a cause for alarm".
"The investigation into this case suggest that the infection was spread from humans to animal, and not the other way round," she says.
"At this time, there is no evidence that pets can transmit the disease to humans."
To be safe, Margaret Hosie, professor of comparative virology at Glasgow University, told The Guardian cat owners should "observe very careful hygiene".
"If you have any respiratory signs, then be sure to catch your cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue, and wash your hands before you handle your cat," she says.
"Don’t kiss your cat. Don’t have the cat sleeping in a bed with you, and don’t share food with the cat."
She also emphasised that there is no evidence that cats can transmit the virus to humans.
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