Another cat has tested positive for the coronavirus, but experts say there is no evidence of pets infecting humans

• A pet cat in the UK has tested positive for COVID-19, the first such case in the UK, according to a government press release.
• Experts say the cat was likely infected by its owners, who had tested positive for the coronavirus, in what is believed to be a rare case of human-to-animal transmission.
• There's still no evidence pets can pass the virus on to people, according to the World Animal Health Organization.

A pet cat in the UK has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a press release from the UK government. This is the first such case in Britain, and one of only about a dozen worldwide recorded by the World Organization for Animal Health.

Experts believe the cat was infected by its owners, who also tested positive for COVID-19. Both the animal and the humans have made a full recovery, according to the press release, and the virus was not transferred to other people or animals in the household.

An animal coronavirus infection is still considered to be rare. In April, after a couple of cats tested positive for the virus, experts said there was no reason to believe pets could pass the virus to humans, and that remains the case.

"This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date only showing mild clinical signs and recovering within in a few days," said the UK's chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss in the press release. "There is no evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans."

In recent months, several other other pet cats as well as several big cats in a zoo tested positive for the virus, Business Insider previously reported. There has been some research suggesting that cats may be able to spread the virus to other cats, even if they don't have symptoms.

At least one dog has also previously tested "weak positive" for the virus without showing symptoms, suggesting canines may be able to carry the virus, although it's unclear whether they can actually get sick from it.

As such, health authorities have recommended that companion animals practice social distancing, too, and that people wash their hands thoroughly before and after interacting with animals.

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