Cats are able to transmit the novel coronavirus, confirmed by a study, days after a Belgian woman transferred the illness on to her pet.
Undertaken by researches at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute in China, the study came to the conclusion that cats are highly susceptible to COVID-19.
According to them, cats can contract the coronavirus and spread it to other cats, but dogs are not vulnerable to the infection.
The team at Harbin also indicated that chickens, ducks, and pigs are not likely to catch the coronavirus.
Lab experiments administered on a small number of cats found that they can transfer the disease to each another through respiratory droplets.
This came merely six days prior to health authorities in Belgium confirming a domestic cat had contracted the coronavirus after its owner had exhibited symptoms.
The owner's cat also showed breathing difficulties, vomiting, and diarrhea. Subsequent testing by veterinarians at the University of Liège concluded that the animal was infected with the coronavirus.
The lab experiments from the Chinese team involved giving a high dose of the virus to the cats. The researchers behind the study said their findings came upon to important insights into the animal reservoirs of the coronavirus. Thus, animal management could have a role in the control of the outbreak.
Scientists find the insights interesting, but cat owners need not be alarmed yet. The lab results do not represent real-life engagements between people and their pets, according to virologist Linda Saif at the Ohio State University in Wooster.
There were a few reports of pets contracting the virus: a cat in Belgium and two dogs in Hong Kong. "Cats and dogs are in close contact with humans, and therefore it is important to understand their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 for COVID-19 control," wrote the authors of the latest study.
"Surveillance for Sars-CoV-2 in cats should be considered as an adjunct to elimination of COVID-19 in humans," the paper indicated.
The study, which is not yet peer-reviewed, was posted on the preprint website bioRxiv on Wednesday.
The team was spearheaded by virologist Bu Zhigao. When two of the animals were euthanized six days after their experiment, the researchers detected viral RNA and infectious virus particles in the cats' upper respiratory tracts.
The other three affected cats with the disease were placed in cages next to the uninfected felines. Then, the team detected viral RNA in one of these exposed cats, which suggested that the virus was transmitted from droplets breathed out by the infected cats. All four of the infected cats developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
"These results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 can replicate efficiently in cats, with younger cats being more permissive and, perhaps more importantly, the virus can transmit between cats via respiratory droplets," the researchers said.
According to virologists and infectious disease experts, the findings did not prove that the illness can be transmitted from cats to humans, but they warned that pet owners with cats should be extra cautious and note the importance of washing their hands.
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