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NEW YORK: Two domestic cats in New York State tested positive for coronavirus, marking the first confirmed cases in companion animals in the United States, federal officials said.
The cats, who had mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover, are believed to have contracted the virus from people in their homes or neighborhoods, the US Department of Agriculture said. USA And the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The finding, which comes after positive tests on some tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, adds to a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in animals around the world.
US authorities say that while it appears that some animals can contract the virus from people, there is no indication that the animals transmit it to humans.
“We don’t want people to panic. We don’t want people to be afraid of pets ”or to rush to test them en masse, said Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC official who works on human-animal health connections.
“There is no evidence that pets are playing a role in spreading this disease to people.”
Still, the CDC recommends that people prevent their pets from interacting with people or animals outside of their homes, for example, by keeping cats indoors and dogs outside dog parks.
Pet coronavirus testing is not recommended unless an animal has been exposed to a person with COVID-19 and the animal has symptoms of the disease, and the tests have ruled out possible more common causes, said Jane Rooney of the USDA.
Veterinarians who think the tests are warranted are supposed to contact state officials to decide.
Barton Behravesh said animal testing is done in veterinary laboratories and uses different chemicals than human testing, which has been rare during the crisis.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that disappear within two to three weeks.
For some, especially older adults and people, it can cause more serious illnesses, including pneumonia, and can be fatal.
Scientists are working to understand the potential for transmission to animals in homes, farms, and elsewhere.
So far, livestock or poultry do not appear to be susceptible, Rooney said.
The two cats live in different parts of the state; USDA and CDC would not say where specifically.
The first cat fell ill about a week after a person in his home had a short respiratory illness, although the person’s condition was not confirmed to be COVID-19, Barton Behravesh said.
The animal sometimes goes outside and could have come in contact with an infected person in the area, he said.
The owner of the second cat tested positive for COVID-19 before the cat became ill, authorities said.
Another cat in the same house has shown no signs of illness.
The agencies have recommended that pet owners with COVID-19 avoid petting, snuggling, or other contact with their animals as much as possible, including wearing a face covering while caring for them.
There have been a handful of reports outside the US. USA From infected dogs or cats after close contact with contagious people, including a Hong Kong dog that tested positive for a low pathogen level in February and early March.
Hong Kong agricultural authorities concluded that dogs and cats could not transmit the virus to humans, but could test positive if exposed by their owners. A tiger at the Bronx Zoo had what was believed to be the first confirmed case of coronavirus in an animal in the United States or a tiger anywhere.
The four-year-old Malay tiger, named Nadia, was examined after starting to show signs of illness on March 27, 11 days after the zoo closed to the public due to the virus.
Three other tigers and three lions showed symptoms later. Tests later confirmed that everyone had the virus, as did another tiger that shares its display but showed no signs of disease, the zoo said on Wednesday.
All affected cats are fine, with a good appetite and much less a cough, the zoo said. Zoo officials said they believe the animals were exposed by a keeper who had the virus but was showing no symptoms at the time.
Staff working with cats started wearing protective clothing against infection.
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The cats, who had mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover, are believed to have contracted the virus from people in their homes or neighborhoods, the US Department of Agriculture said. USA And the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The finding, which comes after positive tests on some tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, adds to a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in animals around the world.
US authorities say that while it appears that some animals can contract the virus from people, there is no indication that the animals transmit it to humans.
“We don’t want people to panic. We don’t want people to be afraid of pets ”or to rush to test them en masse, said Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC official who works on human-animal health connections.
“There is no evidence that pets are playing a role in spreading this disease to people.”
Still, the CDC recommends that people prevent their pets from interacting with people or animals outside of their homes, for example, by keeping cats indoors and dogs outside dog parks.
Pet coronavirus testing is not recommended unless an animal has been exposed to a person with COVID-19 and the animal has symptoms of the disease, and the tests have ruled out possible more common causes, said Jane Rooney of the USDA.
Veterinarians who think the tests are warranted are supposed to contact state officials to decide.
Barton Behravesh said animal testing is done in veterinary laboratories and uses different chemicals than human testing, which has been rare during the crisis.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that disappear within two to three weeks.
For some, especially older adults and people, it can cause more serious illnesses, including pneumonia, and can be fatal.
Scientists are working to understand the potential for transmission to animals in homes, farms, and elsewhere.
So far, livestock or poultry do not appear to be susceptible, Rooney said.
The two cats live in different parts of the state; USDA and CDC would not say where specifically.
The first cat fell ill about a week after a person in his home had a short respiratory illness, although the person’s condition was not confirmed to be COVID-19, Barton Behravesh said.
The animal sometimes goes outside and could have come in contact with an infected person in the area, he said.
The owner of the second cat tested positive for COVID-19 before the cat became ill, authorities said.
Another cat in the same house has shown no signs of illness.
The agencies have recommended that pet owners with COVID-19 avoid petting, snuggling, or other contact with their animals as much as possible, including wearing a face covering while caring for them.
There have been a handful of reports outside the US. USA From infected dogs or cats after close contact with contagious people, including a Hong Kong dog that tested positive for a low pathogen level in February and early March.
Hong Kong agricultural authorities concluded that dogs and cats could not transmit the virus to humans, but could test positive if exposed by their owners. A tiger at the Bronx Zoo had what was believed to be the first confirmed case of coronavirus in an animal in the United States or a tiger anywhere.
The four-year-old Malay tiger, named Nadia, was examined after starting to show signs of illness on March 27, 11 days after the zoo closed to the public due to the virus.
Three other tigers and three lions showed symptoms later. Tests later confirmed that everyone had the virus, as did another tiger that shares its display but showed no signs of disease, the zoo said on Wednesday.
All affected cats are fine, with a good appetite and much less a cough, the zoo said. Zoo officials said they believe the animals were exposed by a keeper who had the virus but was showing no symptoms at the time.
Staff working with cats started wearing protective clothing against infection.
