A 17-year-old dog in Hong Kong, which had been cleared of the coronavirus after initial suspicions of infection were proven unfounded, has died two days after it was released from quarantine, Reuters reported.

Vets in the Asian financial hub say the dog's death could have been because of the stress and anxiety of being in quarantine and away from its family.

The dog, which belonged to a patient who had COVID-19, tested negative for the virus last week, easing fears over the possibility of human-to-animal transmission.