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Pet owners infected with COVID-19 are at risk of transmitting the virus to their cats and dogs, who can also end up with respiratory systems, according to a study.
Veterinary experts in Canada have warned those suspected of contracting the new coronavirus to stay away from their furry friends, for the sake of the latter.
While there is no evidence so far that humans contract COVID-19 from animals, experts have said it could be possible, as the virus does not change between species.
In their study, the team analyzed homes in which pets developed respiratory symptoms at the same time as their humans suffered from coronavirus.
Pet owners infected with COVID-19 are at risk of transmitting the virus to their cats and dogs, who can also end up with respiratory systems, study shows (stock image)
“These preliminary results suggest that a substantial proportion of pets in the homes of people with COVID-19 become infected,” said article author and veterinary pathologist Dorothee Bienzle of the University of Guelph, Canada.
In the study, people who owned a cat or dog, and in one case a ferret, and had received a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, were invited to have their pet swabbed.
If humans were outside the two-week window of suspected infectivity, antibody tests were offered that looked for a recent or past infection, using so-called IgM and IgG antibodies, respectively.
Of the 17 cats, 18 dogs and one ferret, all the cats were tested and none but one was infectious, but some showed signs of having been infected.
Ferrets and related species such as mink are highly susceptible to infection, the researchers noted.
“ All cats with indeterminate PCR or antibody positive results were reported to have respiratory and / or other diseases on the part of their owners at the time of the owner’s COVID-19 infection, ” said Professor Bienzle .
“20 percent of the dogs tested positive for IgG antibodies, indicating past infection, and one of them was reported to have had an episode of respiratory illness.”
However, he added, “no dogs tested positive for IgM, which would have indicated a more recent infection.”
Veterinary experts in Canada have warned those suspected of contracting the novel coronavirus to stay away from their furry friends, for the sake of the latter (stock image)
“The number of eligible participants was limited by the relatively low human transmission rates in the study area,” said Professor Bienzle.
However, he noted, “these preliminary results suggest that a substantial proportion of pets in the homes of people with COVID-19 end up developing antibodies.”
“ Due to the narrow time frame available to detect a current infection in pets, especially if their owner is still ill and isolated, it is preferable to perform blood tests of the animal at a later time to check for a previous infection to evaluate the transmission ”.
“Mink-to-human transmission has been reported in mink farms with a high proportion of infected animals kept indoors and cared for by humans,” he continued.
“Transmission from pets to humans has not been reported, but since the virus changes little or no change after transmission from humans to animals, such reverse transmission can occur.”
Professor Bienzle and her colleagues have encouraged people with coronavirus to stay away from both other people and their pets.
“There is enough evidence from multiple studies, including our own, to recommend that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 be isolated from people and animals,” he said.
The full findings of the study were presented at the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Conference on coronavirus disease, which is held virtually September 23-25, 2020.
“ Preliminary results that are made available at conferences before larger and more detailed peer-review studies are published and reproduced are useful to stimulate discussion and further work, but at this stage they are just that: preliminary results. ” ‘said University of Nottingham veterinarian Tim Morris, who was not involved in the study.
“ The constructive challenge should begin as this summary is presented, with questions including how the antibody results compare to those obtained before COVID-19 was first reported and whether the antibody tests are specific. of COVID ”.
The team, he added, must also ‘fully exclude other animal coronaviruses and […] other causes of respiratory infection in cats ”.
“ As such, these results should not be over-interpreted and therefore cause unwarranted alarm, particularly as there is currently no reported evidence of contagious transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from pets to people. ”
