Cuddle your dog and cat when you have COVID-19? This is not a good idea, because the disease can be transmitted to them, according to a Canadian study.
It was known that pets could catch and transmit COVID-19, but the study shows that this human-animal transmission has been more frequent than previously thought.
The study was published this month in the American scientific journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The research involved 69 cats and 49 dogs. Some of them had been adopted by a family, others lived in an animal shelter or a sterilization clinic.
The authors also asked participating owners to complete an online survey about the nature of their interaction with their animal.
“These data indicate relatively common transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to animals. Certain contacts, such as kissing the animal, letting the animal sleep in its bed, seem to increase the risks,” the study reads.
The study was based on the assumption that the presence of the disease in dogs and cats was the result of direct human-to-animal transmission due to the specific nature of the virus and limited contact between animals. animals from different households.
The rate of COVID-19 infection was lower in cats and dogs living in shelters, said co-author of the paper, Professor Scott Weese of the University of Guelph Veterinary College.
“The gap was as big as we expected,” he said.
According to lead author, Professor Dorothee Bienzle, from the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph, the study results indicate that the rate of COVID-19 infection is higher in cats than in dogs. .
“It must have something to do with how the virus attaches to feline receptors or the canine respiratory system,” says P.D Bienzle.
The strong presence of antibodies produced by COVID-19 in the cats studied surprised the researchers, she adds. “We did not expect to have so many. More than half of the cats living with a person had antibodies. It is very high. »
The infected animals showed symptoms similar to those of humans, says the PD Bienzle. “They had no appetite. They felt bad. They slept more. They could even sneeze or cough,” she describes.
Transmission with humans
The Pr Weese claims that cats can transmit the infection to their fellow cats and to humans.
A Thai veterinarian was diagnosed with COVID-19 in August 2021. A cat owned by a man who tested positive for COVID-19 had sneezed in his face. Genetic analyzes showed that the virus had been transmitted from the master to the cat, then to the veterinarian, says the Pr Weese.
There is evidence that mink infected by humans can transmit the virus to other people, he adds. The risk of transmission between a human and an animal can be reduced if the handler keeps his distance, wears a face covering and takes other precautions.
“Ideally what we want is to prevent the spread of the disease as much as possible. People should limit contact with animals when they are sick, stresses the Pr Weese. It is the ideal. »