Paw-ly in the pandemic: pets can catch virus from ownersThere is little evidence that pets play a significant role in spreading the virusLONDON - Cat and dog owners suffering from Covid-19 can pass their illness onto their feline and canine companions, according to a small study released Friday. The new coronavirus is a "zoonotic" infection -- meaning it has jumped into humans from animals -- and while there is little sign that pets play a major role in spreading the virus, there is growing evidence that cats, dogs and even tigers may catch it. In the latest preliminary research, which has not been peer reviewed, veterinary science experts in Canada tested the pets of a group of people with a confirmed Covid-19 diagnosis. In a first group, they took swabs from 17 cats, 18 dogs and one ferret whose owners had a diagnosis within two weeks. Then they gave blood antibody tests to eight cats and 10 dogs, whose owners were outside the two-week window, comparing these to control samples taken from the same animals before the pandemic.

Source: Bangkok Post September 17, 2020 23:37 UTC