COVID-19: Cats and Ferrets at Risk

According to a new study, cats and ferrets are said to be

are susceptible to infection with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and may transmit it within the same species. Dogs, on the other hand, are less likely to do so.

After describing four cases of transmission of SARS-CoV-2—the pathogen responsible for COVID-19 in humans—to pets (two dogs and a cat in Hong Kong and a cat in Belgium), the researchers examined the issue of pets’ susceptibility to the virus. Pets are in close contact with humans, so it is important to understand their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in order to better understand the factors driving the spread of COVID-19. 

A new study by the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, published on the bioRxiv platform, confirms the possibility of experimentally infecting animals with SARS-CoV-2. While cats and ferrets appear to be at the highest risk, dogs are believed to be susceptible to a lesser extent; pigs, chickens, and ducks are not affected.

The researchers inoculated cats with a high viral load into their nostrils and demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 can replicate in cats and be occasionally transmitted via droplets exhaled by infected cats. Viral RNA, as well as infectious viral particles, were found in the animals’ upper respiratory tracts, and antibodies against the virus were detected. The presence of clinical signs and the nature of these clinical signs in cats are currently poorly documented.

Similarly, SARS-CoV-2 can replicate in ferrets and be transmitted without causing severe disease. This susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection makes them ideal animal models for testing potential vaccines and drugs. Ferrets are already being used in influenza studies, and several laboratories have already begun research on COVID-19.

In contrast, in dogs, following experimental inoculation, no viral load was detected in oropharyngeal or rectal samples. With no obvious clinical signs, dogs appear to be relatively resistant to the COVID-19 virus. The same is true for pigs, chickens, and ducks, which do not appear to be sentient beings.

But be careful—these results should be taken with a grain of salt. The study was conducted on a very small number of animals, and the animals were infected with very high doses of the virus. The experimental conditions are likely far removed from reality

in the field and do not necessarily reflect real-world conditions of interactions between humans and their pets. Furthermore, given that the study has not yet undergone peer review, it is likely to change. Current clinical, veterinary, and scientific data are still preliminary and are evolving rapidly every day.

Therefore, while human-to-animal transmission is possible, based on the cases detected to date, there is still no evidence pointing toward animal-to-human transmission. Animals could serve as “passive” carriers of the virus, as they did during the 2003 SARS epidemic. At the time, studies showed that cats could be infected with this virus, but they did not appear to play a role in the spread of the disease. A study of more than 4,000 animals (dogs, cats, horses) in the United States and South Korea supports this observation. No animal, despite possible exposure to the disease, appears to have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Such cases remain rare.

Therefore, there is no cause for alarm at this time. The CDC states that there is currently no evidence that cats or other pets can spread COVID-19.

Cats are not major contributors to the spread of the virus. However, monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 in cats should be considered as part of efforts to eradicate COVID-19 in humans.

The CDC nevertheless recommends that people with COVID-19 limit contact with their pets. And as a preventive measure, it is advisable to follow isolation guidelines for pets that mirror the procedures in place for humans.

Thus, the French Veterinary Academy recommends that pets be considered members of the family and that the same level of precaution and containment be applied to them, particularly by preventing their interaction with anyone who is sick or suspected of having COVID-19. It is also recommended to implement barrier measures appropriate for animals.

https://vetitude.fr/animaux-de-compagnie-covid19-sarscov2-coronavirus-pif/