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A one and a half year old poodle is the first Sars-Cov-2 positive dog in Italy. The dog lives in Bitonto with an isolated family because it is positive. «The dog is asymptomatic and it was a stroke of luck to have it intercepted because the family allowed us to test it within a research project that we are carrying out on dogs and cats. This is the first specimen found with ongoing infection and the presence of viral RNA. ‘ Nicola Decaro, professor of infectious diseases of animals at the University of Bari, explains this to Adnkronos Salute: “The poodle was infected by the family, but it is not in danger,” he clarifies, “there is no danger.”
“All over the world, all the cases of dogs and cats that tend to be more sensitive to the coronavirus are asymptomatic. And there will be a score of known cases – adds Decaro – with a very low bacterial load and, therefore, not infectious. As it is the case of the Bitonto poodle, which, however, is outside our research. ”The study coordinated by the University of Bari“ was carried out on 919 animals from northern Italy examined between March and June – underlines the infectious diseases specialist – from these some cohabited with Covid patients (64 dogs and 57 cats), all tested negative. Compared with the total population examined (919), 3.3% of the dogs and 5.7% of the cats had antibodies against the Then almost 9% had been in contact with the virus. The peculiarity of the Bitonto poodle is that instead of being the first case examined of a dog with the virus still active. “The Decaro study is being published. a pet It is positive, «it is necessary, for the protection of the health of our animals, to entrust it to non-positive friends or relatives who can take care of them. Positive cats or dogs are not a danger to humans – recalls Decaro – The risk of infection from dogs or cats is almost zero ».
Enpa: “Without alarmism, there are no dangers”
“Reiterating the non-contagiousness of domestic animals is essential to avoid generating unnecessary alarmism and sowing panic among the many families that take in animals,” underlines Carla Rocchi, National President of ENPA. “As the Higher Institute of Health had already stated, Professor Nicola Decaro stated that the risk of contagion from dogs or cats is practically nil”.
Decaro, consulted by Enpa, stressed that he had not revealed to the press the news of the dog found positive today but that he had communicated it only to the competent authorities precisely for fear that this type of information, not accompanied by more information about the picture completeness of the situation, could only create confusion. Around the world there will be a score of cases of positive cats and dogs, all with a very low bacterial load and therefore not infectious ”. Rather, as the ISS already pointed out in the report titled ‘SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Pets’ published in April, and in which Decaro participated, it is pets that can be infected by humans. For this reason, “for the protection of the health of our animals, if the owners are positive it would be good to entrust them to non-positive friends or relatives who can take care of them,” he concluded. “A sincere thanks to Professor Decaro for clarifying – added Rocchi – There is no alarm and in fact animals sometimes remain the only consolation for those in quarantine. When necessary, associations, and even Enpa, take care of animals that the owners cannot take care of. And for example, together with civil protection, we take care of the animals of hospitalized people.
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