It is pointed out that it is still early to panic with the news that 'cats were infected with the new coronavirus'



On March 27, 2020, the Belgian authorities announced that `

` the owner of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) confirmed that a new cat coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was infected in the cat. '' Did. While news of concern to pet owners, Sarah Caddy, who studies viral immunology and veterinary surgery at the University of Cambridge, points out that it's too early to fear human-to-cat transmission. I will.

Cat infected with COVID-19 from owner in Belgium | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/cat-infected-covid-19-from-owner.html

Can cats really get or pass on COVID-19, as a report from Belgium suggests?
https://theconversation.com/can-cats-really-get-or-pass-on-covid-19-as-a-report-from-belgium-suggests-135007



Many people are worried about the new coronavirus infectious disease that is raging all over the world, 'Is it possible that humans can infect animals such as pets?' In fact, in March 2020, a report was issued in Hong Kong that 'a weak positive reaction indicating the presence of low levels of new coronavirus was confirmed from dogs kept by patients with new coronavirus infection'. I will.

Weak positive reaction of new coronavirus is detected in dogs-GIGAZINE



Belgian officials have reported that the cats of women who developed a new coronavirus infection after returning from a trip to Northern Italy showed symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and dyspnea. The owners sent samples of vomiting and feces from cats to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Liège because the symptoms were similar to those of the novel coronavirus infection. Then, as a result of analyzing the sample by the research team of the Veterinary School, a high concentration of new coronavirus was detected in the sample.

Belgian virologist Steven Van Gucht points out that the human respiratory cell receptor proteins involved in the new coronavirus infection are similar to those in cat respiratory cells. Epidemic was in 2003, SARS coronavirus was also infected with cats and ferrets cases while was also commented that there is, says 'the cat is not considered to play an important role in the spread of the virus'. The cat recovered 9 days after the onset.



While a series of reports is annoying to pet owners, Caddy argues it's too early to worry about the risk of new coronavirus infections spreading to cats. 'Many people are asking if the virus detected in the cat was really a new coronavirus, or another cat-specific coronavirus,' Caddy said. He also pointed out that it is necessary to investigate whether it was really a new coronavirus.

Even if the new coronavirus is properly tested, only the new coronavirus genome is detected in the sample. Therefore, whether the discovered virus invaded the cat's body and was replicated, or the cat ate the virus-contaminated food etc., so the virus that had already lost its infectivity simply passed through the intestine It is impossible to judge whether it was. To confirm this point, more detailed data such as the amount of new coronavirus found in the sample is needed.

In this case, because respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea appeared in the cat, I was worried that 'the new coronavirus infection may be transmitted to the cat.' However, Caddy points out, 'As all veterinarians know, cats can have symptoms of dyspnea for a variety of reasons,' and the cause of respiratory symptoms is that It is not necessarily a new coronavirus infection. Furthermore, as of March 13,

IDEXX Laboratories , an outsourced animal inspection and diagnosis service, said, `` As a result of investigating thousands of cats and dogs, there is no case that pets have been infected with the new coronavirus so far. and ' report also from the point that is, the possibility of a pet is infected with the new coronavirus has been considered low, the caddy said.



・ Continued
It has been confirmed that cats will be infected with the new coronavirus from cats, there is no symptom, so it may be a `` quiet intermediate host ''-GIGAZINE

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