Can Pets Get Covid 19
But less is known about what factors control the spread of the virus.
Can pets get covid 19. At this time there is no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread covid 19 to people or that they might be a source of infection in the united states. A new study sheds light on where the risks lie and what pet owners should do to protect your furbaby and your family. The usda national veterinary services laboratories has recently confirmed the presence of sars cov 2 the coronavirus causing covid 19 in one tiger at a zoo in new york. Based on the limited available information the risk of animals spreading the covid 19 virus to people is considered low.
So how worried do you need to. These animals are being tested for sars cov 2 infection and also tested to see whether the pet develops antibodies to this virus. Pets are not immune to the covid 19 pandemic. To date cdc has not received any reports of pets becoming sick with covid 19 in the united states.
Cdc usda and state public health and animal health officials are working in some states to conduct active surveillance of sars cov 2 in pets including cats dogs and other small mammals that had contact with a person with covid 19. Infected pets might get sick or they might not have any symptoms. Another study identified coronavirus antibodies in otherwise healthy cats in a shelter. Can i get covid 19 from my pets or other animals.
A small number of pets worldwide including cats and dogs have been reported external icon to be infected with the virus that causes covid 19 mostly after close contact with people with covid 19. Animals don t appear to play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes covid 19. There is no evidence that viruses can spread to people or other animals from a pet s skin fur or hair. Other tigers and lions also showed symptoms but were not tested.
The world health organization says there s no evidence that a dog cat or any pet can transmit covid 19. This work is being done to help us better understand how common sars cov 2 infection might be in pets as well as the possible. Cats may be more susceptible to covid 19 than dogs. More pets may be getting covid 19 than realised researchers find there are substantial rates of coronavirus infection in pets whose owners have covid 19 and in several cases infected animals.
This happened mostly after the animals were in close contact with people infected with the covid 19 virus. Pets have other types of coronaviruses that can make them sick like canine. Of the pets that have gotten sick most only had mild illness and fully recovered. Helga kattinger via pixabay cats and ferrets are more susceptible to the novel coronavirus than dogs and cats can pass it on to other cats according to a recent study by researchers in china.