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Antibodies have been detected in dogs and cats living with covid humans. Pets rarely show symptoms. But the risk of them spreading the infection is small, according to the Swedish Veterinary Institute.
Both cats and dogs have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus after sampling. Stock Photography.
Two dogs in Hong Kong were quarantined when their owners were admitted to the COVID-19 hospital in mid-March. After the sample, it turned out that one of the dogs was infected with the coronavirus.
Soon after, there were several reports of cats testing positive.
– Plus, tigers and lions at a zoo in the Bronx, says Karl Ståhl, acting state epizootologist at the Swedish Veterinary Institute (SVA).
Since last spring there have been several studies in animals infected with the coronavirus. Chickens and pigs do not appear to be susceptible, unlike dogs, cats, minks, and ferrets.
– Some animals are simply more susceptible than others. The latest study shows that cattle can become infected. But they do not transmit the infection, says Karl Ståhl.
Two smaller studies in the US and France show that a large proportion of cats living with people with covid disease develop antibodies. In some cases, cats have also shown milder respiratory symptoms. Unlike dogs, cats also seem to be able to infect other animals.
– Cats seem more receptive than dogs. There are also experimental studies showing that cats can transmit the virus and infect other cats. It has also been speculated that cats may have played a role in the spread of the infection between different mink farms in the Netherlands, says Karl Ståhl.
Minkar has shown particularly susceptible to the virus. During fur farming, the animals are kept in cages close to each other, which has led to major outbreaks in many mink farms in Denmark and the Netherlands.
On Friday, the first case was found on a Swedish mink farm. A person working at the Blekinge facility has also been confirmed to be infected. The route of infection has not been determined, but according to SVA it can be assumed that the infection has been transmitted from humans to mink.
There are also cases where the infection has passed from mink to human. It shows reports from Denmark and a study from the Netherlands, where the virus genome was analyzed.
– The viruses carried by humans turned out to be a development of the mink virus, says Karl Ståhl.
Among more than 42 million confirmed cases of corona in the world, there is no known case in which a cat or dog has infected a human. Although it cannot be ruled out, according to SVA.
To prevent the spread of infection between humans and animals, as always it is important to think about hygiene, says Karl Ståhl. Sick animals should also be kept at home and separated from other animals as much as possible.
– Washing your hands with soap and water before and after contact with animals is very important if you are sick. If you are also very ill with covid, you can try to avoid direct contact with your pet, as much as possible.
TT: Is it safe to take care of a pet for someone who is sick?
– Yes. There is an increased risk that you will get sick from the person giving you the animal. If animals had played an important role in the spread of infection, we would have known by now. And it’s safe to say that the coronavirus doesn’t pose a major threat to our pets.
