At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the main concerns of the quarantine were pets, since both dogs and cats can test positive for the virus if they have contact with an infected person.
In this regard, several studies assured that it is possible, as stated, for example, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States. In case of Ecuador, the Agrarian University confirmed it in a talk on the 20th of May, in which he spoke about the contagion of the British variant (B.1.1.7).
Now, two studies to be presented at a virtual medical conference at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) next week reveal that dogs and cats are contracting the disease from their owners more often than is known. I thought, and felines face higher risks than canines. Why? Simply because of their approach. “Cats also tend to sleep closer to people’s faces than dogs,” the article explains.
Given this, the veterinary doctor Glenda Sánchez Ycaza, from the Animalopolis hospital, emphasizes not believing that the dog or cat could infect its owner. “That the dog has antibodies does not mean nor is it proven that it can infect humans or that the house is infected,” he says. However, he does not rule out taking precautions when riding.
The co-author of one of the studies, Dr. Els Broens, indicates that one of the measures to take if a pet and an infected person are found at home will be quarantine and isolation.
“If you have COVID-19, you should avoid contact with your cat or dog, just as you would with other people,” he said. In addition, he explains that one of the dangers will be that if the infected pet has contact with a healthy person, it can host the virus and reintroduce it into the human population, increasing its spread. This issue has not yet been scientifically purchased or notified by entities. Specialized.
The theory of Broens, who is also the director of the Veterinary Microbiological Diagnosis Center (VMDC), for the moment is not a proven scientific fact since no transmission from pet to human has been reported so far in official media. However, his article states that through a mobile veterinary clinic that visited the owners’ homes, humans tested positive in the last 2 to 200 days of investigation. They found oropharyngeal and rectal swabs and samples of the blood of their cats and dogs.
The sample was 156 dogs and 154 cats from 196 households.
“Eleven of the thirteen owners whose pets tested positive for PCR agreed to undergo a second round of pushing one to three weeks after the first test. All eleven animals tested positive for antibodies, confirming that they had had COVID-19 ″, reads the article.
The symptoms recorded in dogs and cats are severe heart abnormalities and profound deterioration in their health; however, there is still no study that indicates respiratory problems that warn of this at the beginning.
In the experimentation mentioned above, domestic cats showed symptoms such as a runny nose and shortness of breath, compared to domestic dogs, which showed mainly low energy and loss of appetite.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States (CDC) detail a series of prevention recommendations to avoid contagion:
- Do not let your pets get close to people or other animals that do not live in the house.
- Keep cats indoors as much as possible.
- Walk your dogs using a dog leash and keeping at least six feet (two meters) away from other people and animals.
- Do not allow contact with unfamiliar animals and keep your distance from other people since saliva or nasal secretions (fomites) could contaminate the limbs or fur of your dog or cat.
- When you return home, wash your pet’s limbs with soap and water as thoroughly and thoroughly as you would with your hands.
- Detergent or hydrogel should not be used to sanitize cats or dogs (I)
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