Max, co-owner PillartoPost.org daily online magazine |
GUEST BLOG / By Victoria
Gill, Science Correspondent, BBC News, London--Veterinary scientists have recommended
cat owners keep their pets indoors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
But
the British Veterinary Association said "owners should not worry"
about any risk of infection from their pets.
"There
isn't a single case of a pet dog or cat infecting a human with Covid-19,"
Dr Angel Almendros, from City University in Hong Kong, told BBC News.
Research
has shown cats may be able to catch the virus from other cats.
To
prevent any risk of pets carrying the virus from owners' hands in their fur,
British Veterinary Association (BVA), president Daniella Dos Santos encouraged
owners to take "sensible precautions".
"Practice
good hand hygiene, try and keep cats indoors," she said.
"Avoid
unnecessary contact with your pets, such a hugging or allowing them to lick
your face, and do not touch other people's dogs when on walks."
A
SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?
AVOIDING
CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exercise
LOOK-UP
TOOL: Check cases in your area
MAPS
AND CHARTS: Visual guide to the outbreak
THE
20-SECOND HAND WASH: Just do it.
In
a recent paper on the subject, Dr Angel Almendros referred to the case of a
17-year-old pet dog in Hong Kong that tested positive for the Covid-19 virus -
apparently infected by its owner.
"But
even where we have these positive results, the animals are not becoming
sick," he said.
"As
in the previous Sars-Cov outbreak in Hong Kong, in 2003, where a number of pets
were infected but never became sick, there is no evidence that dogs or cats
could become sick or infect people."
How
is the disease transmitted from humans to animals?
It
appears cats may be susceptible to infection from respiratory droplets - virus
particles suspended in air that people cough, sneeze or breathe out.
Following
a case in Belgium where a cat tested positive about a week after its owner
showed symptoms, scientists in China carried out lab tests that provided
evidence of infected cats transmitting the virus to other cats.
"It
is interesting to note in the experimental evidence that cats can become
infected, alongside the apparent infection of a tiger [at Bronx Zoo in New
York]," Prof Bryan Charleston, director of the UK's Pirbright Institute,
which specialises in the study of infectious disease, said.
And
the "evidence on the transmissibility" from humans to other animals
was building.
There
is also evidence humans can transmit respiratory infections to wild great apes,
which makes the global spread of Covid-19 a concern for conservationists
working to protect critically endangered animals, including gorillas.
In
all of these cases though, it is infected humans that pose the threat to other
species.
"We
know that the virus did make the jump from an animal into humans [at the
beginning of this crisis] but that appears to be because people were eating
those infected animals," Prof Charleston said.
There
is no evidence animals can pass this disease back to people.
Why
should I keep my cat indoors in that case?
The
British Veterinary Association points out that, like any surface, an animal's
fur could carry the virus for a time "if a pet were to have come into contact
with someone who was sick".
And
that is why vets are recommending the advice to stay at home is extended to our
pets.
"Treat
pets like other people in your household. So if you're feeling sick, it's
better not to interact with them," said Dr Almendros.
"I
hope pet owners can sleep a bit better with the right advice and
information," he added. "It isn't easy these days, I know."
No comments:
Post a Comment