HONG KONG - The pet dog of a coronavirus patient in Hong Kong has been found to have a “low level” of the novel coronavirus, the Hong Kong government said early Friday.

According to a government press release, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said the dog tested “weak positive” for the coronavirus and was asymptomatic.

More tests would be conducted for the dog. If confirmed, the dog would be the first case of a pet catching the coronavirus

The AFCD received a referral from the Department of Health on Wednesday of a dog of a patient infected with COVID-19, and later in the evening, picked up the dog from a residential flat at Tai Hang and sent the dog to an animal facility at the Hong Kong Port of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, according to the press release.

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At present, AFCD does not have evidence that pet animals can be infected with COVID-19 or can they be a source of infection to people, according to the press release.

The dog is in quarantine at the animal facility, which is currently empty. Repeated tests will be conducted for the dog and it will only be returned when the test result is negative.

If confirmed, the dog would be the first case of a pet catching the coronavirus.

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The department strongly advised that pets of confirmed virus patients also be put under quarantine.

With Bloomberg inputs