A few days ago, the Hong Kong health authorities reported the case of a dog that had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. After the news, many people wonder if the spread of coronavirus through dogs, cats and other pets is possible.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, the dog in question was quarantined on February 26, after its owner was hospitalized due to the new coronavirus infection. The nasal and oral sample reports were positive for SARS-CoV-2, but the animal does not show specific clinical signs.
In any case, experts do not believe there is cause for panic. “There is currently no evidence that pets can be a source of coronavirus infection,” explained a spokesman for the Hong Kong Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation. Authorities insist that being infected is not the same as being an infectious agent and being able to spread the virus.
In fact, it is likely that in this case the virus has been transmitted from man to dog, and not vice versa. The dog may even simply be a carrier of the virus in its mouth and nostrils, since as we have already mentioned, it did not show clinical signs of infection. According to experts, pet owners, today, should not worry: at the moment there is no evidence that they can get sick from SARS-CoV-2 or that they are transmitters of the infection.
Basic hygiene recommendations
In any case, the recommendations of the health authorities with regard to pets are the basic hygiene measures that should be maintained regularly, with or without coronavirus: wash your hands well after having contact with animals, avoid kissing them in the mouth and taking care of the cleaning and grooming of pets protects us from bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella that, yes, we know for sure that they are transmitted from pets to humans.
“Mammalian pets from households with confirmed human cases of COVID-19 will be quarantined and under veterinary surveillance for 14 days. Samples will be collected to verify the presence of SARS-CoV-2, as appropriate ”, reported the World Organization for Animal Health, which will continue to publish weekly reports with the results of the tests for the duration of the episode.
