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The first positive dog in our country in Covid-19 is a poodle whose conditions are good. Unfortunately for the puppy, however, it is the first case in Italy. The news comes from Bitonto, in Puglia: here, a one and a half year old dog tested positive for Covid-19 like all the members of his family. In fact, the dog would have been infected by the humans with whom it shares the spaces, all with symptoms. Instead, it would be asymptomatic and its viral load does not pose a risk of infection for humans.
Professor Nicola Decaro, Senior Lecturer in Infectious Diseases at the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bari, told Fanpage.it that a case of positivity in a pet is not really a scientific novelty. “Dogs have already been described as infected by their owners in the world – explains the professor – and it is important to say that animals do not represent a danger to humans. There are symptomatic and asymptomatic animals, but none of them can infect people. “. These results come from a research project that Professor Decaro has been carrying out since March 2019. “We looked for antibodies against Covid-19 in animals and initially we limited our research to Lombardy and Emilia Romagna – he explains again – while now we are expanding our analysis. We have already found antibodies in animals such as dogs and cats in regions that were heavily affected by the first wave, but they are not a means of infection for humans ”.
Contagion in dogs
The world’s first COVID-positive dog case emerged in China in March. It was the Pomeranian of a Hong Kong woman, also positive for Coronavirus. The woman developed symptoms in mid-February and began a period of isolation in the company of her dog. At the time of the swab, health professionals decided to test the pet as well. A weak positivity to the coronavirus also emerged here, but the dog was still under quarantine. This first case was also asymptomatic and not dangerous for humans. In fact, animals are very sensitive to the virus, but they do not transmit the disease to people and, above all, it does not appear to be fatal to them. Cats are the most fragile pets: they contract Covid much more than dogs, but even they do not represent an instrument of contagion for humans.
The virus in mink
On the story that sees the killing of 17 million minks in Denmark because they are infected with a new variant of Covid, Professor Decaro has expressed the perplexity of a large part of the scientific community. “Obviously it is true that these animals have contracted Covid and that the virus has mutated in them. They are always positive for the carelessness of the staff who brought the disease to the farms, that already represent a crowded situation. We learned of the decision to eliminate mink with dismay, like everyone else, however we have doubts: it is not absolutely certain that the vaccine we are making cannot work on this variant of Covid as well. Tests must be carried out and at the moment the new formula has infected only twelve people, it does not represent a real danger at the moment. What we do know is that the mink plays an important role as an amplifier and reservoir of viruses. “
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