Can pets get COVID-19?
Yes!
Since the end of February 2020, the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department first reported the world’s first pet dog infected with the new crown virus, and the world has gradually found that pets have been infected with the new crown virus after close contact with patients with new coronary pneumonia Virus.
In the past month, the epidemic has rapidly swept across more than 20 provinces across the country.
Does anyone with pets at home need to worry? How to deal with it? What should I do if I suspect that my pet is infected with the new crown? This article will talk about it in detail.
(At the end of the article, we also attach three practical method guides for families with pets, you can pull down to the end to view)
Can COVID-19 spread between humans and animals? The answer is yes.
Studies have shown that the new coronavirus, similar to other coronaviruses, originated in bats, and caused new coronary pneumonia mainly through droplet transmission between people, and may also be transmitted through contact [1,2 ].
However, recent cases of COVID-19 infection in animals have been reported frequently, and most of the infected animals are several types of domestic pets, including cats, dogs, and ferrets[3].
Have pets to worry about? Don’t worry, as long as the owner is still healthy, it’s not a big problem for the time being.
The owners of COVID-19-positive pets found so far are all former or current COVID-19 patients, suggesting that people with COVID-19 are more likely to infect their pets [4, 5].
As for whether pet illnesses can be transmitted to their owners, the authoritative journal “Nature” reports: There is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted through the pet-human route, but it is not certain that the virus spreads direction [6].
(Source: Literature [6])
Since there is no evidence that household pets can transmit disease to humans, there is no reason for us to abandon or harm our own pets.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends leaving pets in the care of a friend if an owner has COVID-19.
The “Notice of the Epidemic Prevention and Control Command Office” issued by Futian District, Shenzhen on March 17 also made it clear that during the centralized isolation and health testing period, small pets can be accompanied and cannot be carried Pets can go to the pet station for free custody.
Most people’s pets are cats or dogs. So, is there a difference between cats and dogs?
It is true that studies have found that cats are more susceptible (that is, cats are more susceptible to infection) and more prone to animal-to-animal transmission than dogs [7].
(Comparison of the susceptibility and transmission mode of the new coronavirus between cats and dogs, source: Literature [7])
Pet cats can contract COVID-19 after close contact with someone with COVID-19. Among 102 cat sera collected after the outbreak in Wuhan, 15 (14.7%) sera were positive for antibodies [8].
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, cats in any area can become infected.
In addition to pet cats at home, we also need to pay attention to stray cats.
As long as you keep a safe distance and don’t actively disturb, people and stray cats and dogs can coexist peacefully.
There is no need to drive or cull stray animals, which can put yourself and the animals in your home at risk.
If you are in an area where COVID-19 is prevalent, you still need to keep pet cats at home as much as possible, not free-range, so as to avoid the cats in the house coming into contact with stray cats and becoming infected.
Pet dogs can also contract COVID-19 from their owners.
In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers isolated the virus from pet dogs’ nasal and oral swabs. After sequencing the viral genetic material, they found that the dog’s virus gene The sequence is identical to the viral gene sequence of the infected person [9].
(Source: Literature [9])
There is currently no evidence that the virus can be transmitted to humans through pets, but for the elderly, children, people with underlying or chronic diseases, those who are trying to conceive or become pregnant, etc. Pay more attention.
If it can be done, try to avoid cats and dogs as much as possible during the epidemic, and do not have too close contact with pets.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says pets infected with the new coronavirus may or may not become ill. Most of the pets with the disease have only mild symptoms and are relatively easy to recover, and it is extremely rare for pets to develop severe cases.
In experiments, interstitial pneumonia, loss of cilia, and Epithelial necrosis and inflammation of the turbinates and trachea. However, no clinical signs were found in infected cats [10,11].
The symptoms of COVID-19 infection in animals have not been clearly defined. In mammals, clinical signs consistent with COVID-19 may include the following:
Fever, cough, difficulty or shortness of breath, lethargy (lack of energy or sluggishness), sneezing, runny nose, eye discharge, vomiting, diarrhea.
If your pet is sick and you think it may be from the virus that causes COVID-19, please contact your local epidemic prevention staff promptly for testing.
1. During the epidemic, remember to do this:
Try to avoid pets from going out, and take appropriate hygiene measures for pets going out; if you must go out, it is best to be led by the owner;
Place pets according to the regulations of the epidemic area, do not abandon or kill pets because of panic;
Wash hands frequently before and after contact with animals and avoid close contact;
Replace pet pads in time, take frequent baths, and remove fleas;
Do not panic if pets have suspected clinical symptoms, promptly notify quarantine personnel to check, and isolate at home.
2. The pet owner is sick, remember to do this:
If you have COVID-19 (suspected or confirmed by testing), not only do you need to isolate and avoid contact with people, you should also avoid contact with pets and other animals as much as possible.
No contact with pets including petting, snuggling, kissing, licking, sharing food and sleeping in the same bed;
The American Veterinary Medical Association also recommends that COVID-19 patients wear masks when caring for pets;
If contact with pets is required, hands should also be washed before and after contact with animals.
3. If you suspect your pet is sick, you can do the following:
Monitor your pet’s symptoms: If your pet has new symptoms or worsens, please contact the epidemic prevention staff in time;
If conditions permit, please first isolate pets suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus at home: do not rashly take pets out or go to the veterinary hospital for treatment. Protect yourself by taking strict precautions when caring for a sick pet.
Reviewers:
Liu Xi
Deputy Chief Physician of Shanghai Tongji Hospital
Lu Xuexin
Assistant Researcher, Doctor of Immunology, Institute of Viral Disease Prevention and Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
References
[1]ZHOU P, YANG XL, WANG XG, et al. A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin [J]. Nature, 2020, 579(7798): 270-3.
[2]YEO C, KAushAL S, YEO D. Enteric involvement of coronaviruses: is faecal-oral transmission of SARS-CoV-2 possible? [J]. The lancet Gastroenterology & hepatology, 2020, 5(4): 335-7.
[3]CSISZAR A, JAKAB F, VALENCAK TG, et al. Companion animals likely do not spread COVID-19 but may get infected themselves [J]. GeroScience, 2020, 42(5 ): 1229-36.
[4]PAGANI G, LAI A, BERGNA A, et al. Human-to-Cat SARS-CoV-2 Transmission: Case Report and Full-Genome Sequencing from an Infected Pet and Its Owner in Northern Italy [J]. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland), 2021, 10(2):
[5]KIROS M, ANDUALEM H, KIROS T, et al. COVID-19 pandemic: current knowledge about the role of pets and other animals in disease transmission [J]. Virology journal, 2020, 17(1): 143.
[6]MALLAPATY S. Coronavirus can infect cats – dogs, not so much [J]. Nature, 2020,
[7]DRó DM, KRZY EK P, DUDEK B, et al. Current State of Knowledge about Role of Pets in Zoonotic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [J]. Viruses, 2021 , 13(6):
[8]ZHANG Q, ZHANG H, GAO J, et al. A serological survey of SARS-CoV-2 in cat in Wuhan [J]. Emerging microbes & infections, 2020, 9 (1): 2013-9.
[9]SIT THC, BRACKMAN CJ, IP SM, et al. Infection of dogs with SARS-CoV-2 [J]. Nature, 2020, 586(7831): 776-8 .
[10]SHI J, WEN Z, ZHONG G, et al. Susceptibility of ferrets, cats, dogs, and other domesticated animals to SARS-coronavirus 2 [J]. Science (New York , NY), 2020, 368(6494): 1016-20.
[11]HALFMANN PJ, HATTA M, CHIBA S, et al. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Domestic Cats [J]. The New England journal of medicine, 2020, 383( 6): 592-4.
Author: Di Hao | Editor: Emgrand, Zhang Xiaoyi, Zhang Jie
Typesetting: Han Ningning | Proofreading: Wu Yihe
Operation: Li Yongmin | Coordinator: Ye Yichu