Each day its novelty. For the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, a cat has been infected with the new coronavirus in Belgium, Belgian health authorities said on Friday. The animal was contaminated by its owner who was sick. According to Belgian health authorities, the cat had transient respiratory and digestive symptoms. Using a sequencing method, the researchers detected the genome of the virus. Since then, the animal has recovered and is feeling better.
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The news is intriguing, but scientists want to be reassuring, excluding any risk of contamination from animals to humans. Contacted by Le Figaro , Gilles Salvat, Director Delegate for Research at ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Security) and author of an opinion on the subject, explained that the risk for humans to infect their pets is " fairly low ". Conversely, contamination of humans by animals is " even lower, even negligible ". According to him, animals such as cats or dogs are " epidemiological dead ends ", in other words they can very rarely be sick, but they will not transmit the virus to humans or another animal.
A study in South Korea and the United States released on Friday looked at 4,000 dogs and cats in areas where Covid-19 is rampant. His conclusion is final: there have been no positive cases detected. " The infection of this cat in Belgium is therefore exceptional, " says Gilles Salvat.
Three cases of confirmed infected animals
Domestic animals are extremely rare. In Hong Kong, authorities have reported two cases in recent weeks: two dogs were " tested positive for Covid-19 ", they said, during a screening campaign conducted on 17 dogs and eight cats living in contact with people with the virus. However, the virus seems " little virulent " in canines since the two animals tested positive did not transmit the virus to the other dogs which shared their home.
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The virus can be transmitted from humans to animals but " there is no reason to think that animals can be vectors of the epidemic in our society ", detailed Dr. Emmanuel André, one of the carriers - the words of the Belgian authorities on this pandemic, thus joining scientific analyzes made around the world on the question. " Given the number of cases recorded around the world, the fact that there are only three known cases of infection in animals proves that the virus does not circulate between humans and them ", abounds Gilles Salvat . " So far, there is nothing to indicate that a domestic animal can transmit the virus to humans or other pets ," said the ANSES researcher.
As a precaution, however, it is " strongly recommended " to apply standard hygiene rules with a pet: " avoid close contact with him when sick, wash hands before and after handling any animal, don't let the animal lick your face ”.
