Report: Chapel Hill Pug Did Not Contract Coronavirus

The story of a Chapel Hill pug went viral last month when it was reported that the pooch was one of the first animals in the United States to test positive for coronavirus.

But additional testing has revealed that the pug — named Winston — was likely never infected with the virus, according to new findings from the National Veterinary Services Laboratory.

A report by WRAL details that a series of tests were conducted over several weeks after Duke researchers positively identified SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — in the pug’s oral swab.

NEW: A pug named Winston, believed to be the first dog to test positive for #coronavirus in the U.S., was likely never infected with the virus. >> https://t.co/28hd4RHUMc #wral #covid_19

— WRALJoe Fisher (@JoeFisherTV) May 28, 2020

“While there was a weak detection from the original oral sample, it did not meet the case definition for a positive, and all other testing was negative,” said Lyndsay Cole, a spokesperson for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. “No virus was isolated, and there was no evidence of an immune response using the available test.”

The pug’s owners also tested positive for coronavirus. The family’s mother, Heather McLean, said she noticed Winston coughing, sneezing and not eating his meals. Winston was the only one the McLeans’ pets that initially tested positive, after the family’s other dog and cat were also tested.

“We weren’t really sure either way. We were curious just like everyone else,” McLean told WRAL when finding out about Winston’s negative results. “Did he have the infection or did he just have the virus in his mouth?”

One of the first reports of an animal in the United States testing positive for COVID-19 came from New York, when a tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive in early April. Last month, two pet cats in New York became the first reported companion animals to test positive for the virus.

Since his original diagnosis, Winston is feeling better and only suffered symptoms of the virus for a few days.

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