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Pets also suffer from COVID-19. They get infected from their owners. Recent studies in the Netherlands and Canada prove this. However, there is still no evidence that infection occurs the other way around. So don’t worry – cats and dogs do not infect humans with the coronavirus.
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- According to various studies, this applies to 20 to even 60 percent. domestic pets
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COVID-19 and animals. Cats and dogs get sick too
Naukowcy z Uniwersytetu w Utrechcie przebadali 310 zwierząt domowych z 196 gospodarstw domowych, w których mieszkały osoby zainfekowane COVID-19. Badania wykazały u sześciu kotów i siedmiu psów pozytywny wynik testu PCR, u kolejnych 54 zwierząt stwierdzono pozytywny wynik na obecność przeciwciał wirusowych.
‘If you have COVID-19, you should avoid contact with your cat or dog, as well as dealing with other people,’ commented Dr Els Broens of Utrecht University. – The problem is not only the health of animals, but also the potential risk that they can become a carrier of the virus and reintroduce it into the human population.
However, the study authors said no evidence of animal-to-owner transmission of the virus has yet been recorded.
Most infected animals typically pass COVID-19 asymptomatically or with mild symptoms.
Scientists took swabs from animals to look for signs of a current infection, and blood samples were also tested for antibodies. The results were presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 4,2 percent animals were infected with the virus, 17,4 percent. tested positive for antibodies. Subsequent studies showed that all PCR positive animals healed the infection and produced antibodies.
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According to the researchers, the most likely route of transmission of the virus is from human to animal, not the other way around. – However, we cannot say that the risk of animal-to-human transmission of the virus is zero, said Dr Broens of the Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostic Center. “The pandemic is constantly fueled by infections between people, so we haven’t detected it yet. However, it seems unlikely that pets could play a role in the pandemic – she pointed out.
Canadian scientists from the University of Guelph in Ontario also conducted similar studies. Cats sleeping on their owners’ bed were found to be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.
48 cats and 54 dogs from 77 households were tested for the presence of antibodies. A positive result was shown among 67 percent. cats and 43 percent. dogs. For comparison – antibodies were found in 9 percent. dogs and cats from the shelter and in 3 percent. stray cats from the area.
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A quarter of the pets tested showed signs of infection, mainly loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. Most of the cases were mild, with three diagnosed as severe.
The authors of the study believe that the fact that cats became infected more often than dogs was due to their behavior reported by their owners. Cats sleep in bed with their owners more often, which increases the risk of exposure to any infections, especially if they sleep close to the human face.
COVID-19 is not transmitted from animals to humans
Prof. James Wood, kierownik wydziału medycyny weterynaryjnej Uniwersytetu Cambridge, skomentował te badania dla BBC. Stwierdził, że to kolejne dowody na to, że znaczna część kotów i psów może zarazić się wirusem od swoich właścicieli.
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– The Dutch study is solidly conducted. It shows that about 20 percent. animals may be at risk of infection. Fortunately, their bodies deal with the infection, as it is with most people. Most reports say this infection appears to be asymptomatic, he said.
– It also appears that the virus does not spread from dogs and cats to other animals or their owners – added.
These studies are in line with what veterinarians at the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in February. Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh then emphasized that the risk of animal-to-human transmission of the virus is negligible, but that humans can infect pets with whom they are at home.
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Therefore, the CDC recommended that in the event of COVID-19 in humans, treat animals in the same way as you treat your loved ones. Avoid contact, hug, kiss or sleep in the same bed. When interacting with animals, infected people should wear masks, and preferably they should be looked after by another household member who is not infected with the coronavirus. Outdoor pets should be kept at home to prevent them from spreading the virus.
Do you want to test your COVID-19 immunity after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? See the COVID-19 immunity test package, which you will perform at Diagnostics network points.
Dr Behravesh added that there is no evidence that animals transmit the coronavirus on their skin or hair, so prophylactic bathing of animals with chemical disinfectants is not advisable. The veterinarian stressed that there were many cases of animal poisoning as a result of such practices.
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