Leading Veterinary Diagnostic Company Sees No COVID-19 in Pets

Finally some good news for all of us who have been worried about whether cats can get or transmit the new coronavirus. Iddexx, a global leader in veterinary diagnostics and software, announced today that the company has seen no positive results in pets to date of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus strain responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) respiratory outbreak in humans. Thousands of canine and feline specimens tested surfaced no positive results to date.

Full press release text

WESTBROOK, Maine, March 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDXX), a global leader in veterinary diagnostics and software, today announced that the company has seen no positive results in pets to date of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus strain responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) respiratory outbreak in humans. IDEXX evaluated thousands of canine and feline specimens during validation of a new veterinary test system for the COVID-19 virus. The specimens used for test development and validation were obtained from specimens submitted to IDEXX Reference Laboratories for PCR testing.

These new test results align with the current expert understanding that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted person-to-person and supports the recommendation against testing pets for the COVID-19 virus. For dogs or cats presenting with respiratory signs, the recommendation is to contact a veterinarian to test for more common respiratory pathogens.

“Should leading health authorities determine it is clinically relevant to test pets for the COVID-19 virus, IDEXX will be ready to make the IDEXX SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RealPCR™ Test available,” said Jay Mazelsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of IDEXX Laboratories. “Pets are important members of our family, and we want to keep them healthy and safe. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 and pet health across our global IDEXX Reference Laboratories network as this situation evolves.”

IDEXX Reference Laboratories is a global network of more than 80 laboratories united by a shared commitment to advancing pet care. IDEXX never stops looking for new ways to do more and discover more to enhance the health and well-being of pets, people, and livestock. Customers worldwide benefit from the company’s sophisticated network of veterinary reference laboratories in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil, and across Europe, which offer the most complete and advanced menu of tests in the industry.

For the most up-to-date information on the risk of COVID-19 virus transmission to animals and COVID-19 disease, please visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Veterinary Medical Association, or the World Organisation for Animal Health COVID-19 resource pages.

For additional resources from IDEXX, visit idexx.com/covid2019.

About IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. is a member of the S&P 500® Index and is a leader in pet healthcare innovation, serving practicing veterinarians around the world with a broad range of diagnostic and information technology-based products and services. IDEXX products enhance the ability of veterinarians to provide advanced medical care, improve staff efficiency, and build more economically successful practices. IDEXX is also a worldwide leader in providing diagnostic tests and information for livestock and poultry and tests for the quality and safety of water and milk. Headquartered in Maine, IDEXX employs more than 9,000 people and offers products to customers in over 175 countries. For more information about IDEXX, visit idexx.com.

CONTACTS:
Media Relations
Robin Woodcock
1-207-632-8027
robin-woodcock@idexx.com

Investor Relations
John Ravis
1-207-556-8155
john-ravis@idexx.com

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