LONDON (Reuters) – A pet cat tested positive for the new coronavirus causing COVID-19 in England, the government said in the first confirmed case of an animal infected with the virus in Britain on Monday.
FILE PHOTO: Cats sleep in the village of Krompach, near the city of Cvikov, Czech Republic, on August 26, 2018. REUTERS / David W Cerny
The British Environment Ministry said “all available evidence” suggested that the cat had contracted the coronavirus from its owners, who had tested positive for COVID-19.
Both the cat and humans made a full recovery and there was no transmission to any other animal or person in the home, the ministry said without identifying the people involved.
“This is the first case of a domestic cat testing positive for COVID-19 in the UK, but it shouldn’t be a cause for alarm,” said Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England.
“Research in this case suggests that the infection spread from human to animal, and not the other way around,” added Doyle.
The government said the infection was confirmed in laboratory tests on Wednesday, adding that there was no evidence that cats could transmit the virus to humans.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that cats are the most susceptible animal species to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and can transmit it to other cats.
“Tests by the Animal and Plant Health Agency have confirmed that the virus responsible for COVID-19 has been detected in a pet cat in England,” said Veterinary Director Christine Middlemiss.
“This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date that only show mild clinical signs and recover within a few days.”
The WHO has said it will investigate the possibility of cat-to-human infection, but its chief scientist has said there is “very little risk” from pets.
Alistair Smout Report; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and David Holmes
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