Cases of Infected Pets
World Health Organization officials said they’re investigating several cases where pets appear to have been infected with the coronavirus. In late February, WHO officials said an older male dog in Hong Kong had tested “weakly positive” for the coronavirus, but did not develop any symptoms.
In a recent statement from Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, “We’re aware of two dogs that have been infected in Hong Kong, a cat in Belgium and we’ve heard recently the reports of a tiger at the Bronx Zoo,”. She added that world officials don’t believe the animals are playing a role in transmission to humans, although humans can infect animals.
There have been isolated instances of pets testing positive for Coronavirus elsewhere in the world, but experts have stressed there is no evidence they can become sick or spread the disease.
How Can I Protect My Pet?
Washing your hands before and after handling your pet in any way is the best way to prevent transmission. If you feel that you may be infected, it is best practice to use social distancing with your pet.
“Scientists are still trying to understand if and how (COVID-19) affects animals. This is an area that continues to be studied,” the CFIA website says, citing the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Cats are More Susceptible Than Dogs
From The World Organisation for Animal Health “Preliminary findings from lab studies suggest that cats are the most susceptible species for COVID-19, and cats can be affected with clinical disease. In the lab setting cats were able to transmit infection to other cats. Ferrets also appear to be susceptible to infection but less so to disease. In the laboratory setting ferrets were also able to transmit infection to other ferrets.
Dogs appear to be susceptible to infection but appear to be less affected than ferrets or cats.
Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that animals infected by humans are playing a role in the spread of COVID-19. Human outbreaks are driven by person to person contact.”