For the first time, coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 has been detected in a pet cat.
The UK’s chief veterinary officer confirmed the incident but insisted that there is was no evidence of the cat transmitting the virus to owners or other animals.
The tests at the Animal and Plant Health Agency laboratory in Weybridge on July 22 confirmed the infection. UK’s Health officials reemphasized their advice to wash hands regularly, including before and after contact with animals.
All available evidence hints at the pet cat receive the coronavirus from its owners who had previously tested positive for COVID-19. The cat and its owners have since made a full recovery and there was no transmission to other animals or people in the household.
“This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date only showing mild clinical signs and recovering within a few days. There is no evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans”, said Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss.
Yvonne Doyle of Public Health England added: “This is the first case of a domestic cat testing positive for COVID-19 in the UK but should not be a cause for alarm. The investigation into this case suggests that the infection was spread from humans to the animal, and not the other way round.
The pet cat was initially diagnosed by a private vet with the feline herpes virus, a common cat respiratory infection, but the sample was also tested for SARS-CoV-2 as part of a research program.
Follow-up samples tested at the laboratory confirmed the cat was also co-infected with SARS-CoV2 or coronavirus. There have been a very small number of confirmed cases in pets in other countries in Europe, North America and Asia.
