On several occasions, I have been asked by my acquaintances whether our pets, especially dogs and cats, are at risk for Covid-19 infection or can they transmit the disease. Of course, there is a logical answer to this, but biology does not always work along the lines of ordinary logic. But now, we can now give a clear answer to this question. It was expected that sooner or later studies would emerge that would answer this question.

A team of veterinarians, virologists, and laboratory specialists examined dogs and cats (76 animals in total) in Texas whose owners were confirmed to be infected with coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

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The scientific study on this can be found here. The main results of the study are as follows:

• In more than 25% of the homes studied, animals were also infected with SARS-CoV-2: 47% of cats and 15% of dogs were positive, according to antibody testing.

• In several dogs and cats the virus itself was also detected

• The pets were asymptomatic, only one dog and one cat "sneezed"

• One of the cats also tested positive 32 days after the onset of the owner's illness. This case is currently known as the longest SARS-CoV-2 infection in cats.

• Certain studies suggest that the virus is transferred from humans to animals, and not the other way around. The Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) also recommends social distancing from companion animals. (We yet prefer a healthy diet both for humans and animals – note from Paleomedicina)

Author: Dr. Csaba Tóth

The article in Hungarian

2021-01-09

Image: pixabay