World

Pets and COVID-19: Experts say vigilance needed but risks small | Coronavirus pandemic News


A pet that sneezes, has a runny nose, and seems lethargic. Could it be a common pet illness like a cold – possibly acquired by dogs and cats from human owners – or could it be COVID-19?

It was a question that vexed many pet owners’ minds throughout the pandemic and was revived back in January when authorities in Hong Kong destroy hundreds of hamsters and other small animals After the outbreak of the Delta variant was traced to a pet store and barn.

Since the start of the pandemic, 19 animal species across 35 countries have been infected with COVID-19, from domestic dog and cat to white-tailed deer and even gorillas, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

The guinea pig outbreak is notably the second recorded case of animals reinfecting humans with the virus – and the first to be traced back to the international pet trade because animals are imported. imported from the Netherlands.

In 2020, pet weasel In Denmark it was also found to have spread the virus to humans, prompting authorities to culling millions of animals, but confirmed cases of animal-to-human transmission of COVID-19 are few and far between. .

More recently, researchers said in late February that a Canadian white-tailed deer may have infected humans, according to a new report. another pre-print studyalthough the case is very difficult to trace.

It is still difficult to assess the immediate risk of COVID-19 in animals and why some animals appear to be more susceptible than others, scientists say.

Dead mink were dumped from the excavator into the ditch and covered up, then mass destroyed because of COVID-19
Denmark killed millions of ferrets in 2020 after a mutated form of coronavirus that can infect humans was found on ferret farms. [File: Morten Stricker/Ritzau Scanpix via AFP]

But a major risk factor can be found at the cellular level.

According to Suresh Kuchipudi, a veterinarian, COVID-19 infects humans via ACE-2 (ACE-2) receptors on cells, meaning animals with similar ACE-2 receptors are at increased risk of infection. viruses than other species. virologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Based on the similarity of the ACE-2 receptors in animals to humans, we can predict with at least reasonable certainty which animal species is likely to be infected,” Kuchipudi told Al Jazeera. virus.

Mustelids – the family of animals that includes ferrets, otters, badgers, ferrets and ferrets – also appear to be susceptible, as are domestic dogs and cats.

However, other factors also play a role. Some species are known, such as close proximity to humans, while others have yet to be identified, says Kuchipudi, which is why all members of a species are not easily identified. same disease.

In Hong Kong, researchers found that while Syrian hamsters had Delta variant disease, dwarf hamsters stored next to them in the store did not. Likewise, some but not all Syrian hamsters are infected with the virus, as are several members of the same family living in the same house. may not receive COVID-19 even if someone else does.

The virus also does not spread to rabbits, chinchillas, mice, and guinea pigs kept in the vicinity of infected guinea pigs.

A woman gives her pet a creany ferret
The ferrets that some people keep as pets are susceptible to coronavirus [File: Diego Azubel/EPA]

In the household setting, to date there is no real risk of pet-to-human COVID-19 transmission, said Keith Hamilton, a trained veterinarian and head of preparedness and capabilities. recovery of the OIE said.

“We advise people to be careful with pets that have been infected and to take the same hygiene precautions as those who are infected,” he said.

Humans are the greatest threat to pets

Hamilton said the risks from pets were “incomparable” to a scenario like a mink farm, where thousands of animals are kept close together, providing an opportunity for the virus to mutate.

In contrast, domestic animals are only contagious for a similar amount of time as humans with little chance of spreading the virus elsewhere if they are isolated with proper care. In the case of Hong Kong hamsters, their very small lung capacity means they remain at very low risk even though they are capable of short-term infection, he said.

In the long run, however, there is still reason to be vigilant, Kuchipudi said, as COVID-19 continues to mutate. Scientists have seen natural and experimental cases spill over into zoos and managed facilities such as North American mink and deer farms, but there may be other cases that are yet to be seen. detected.

The hamster outbreak in Hong Kong is special because “No COVID“Policies have made the virus easier to track – but this is not the case elsewhere.

“What is uncertain is that there may be other animals in other geographical areas that could also be infected, but no one is really monitoring them,” he said. “The fact that there are no reports from other parts of the world does not mean this is not happening.”

One theory about the so far unknown origin of the coronavirus is that it jump from wild animals for sale at Huanan Market is now closed in the city of Wuhan, central China, where the virus first appeared in late 2019.

The Omicron variant is easier to transmit, that is first discovered in South Africamay also have evolved in an animal population before turning back into humans, Kuchipudi said.

“It is very likely that a similar scenario could occur again in the future and re-infect people even after the pandemic appears to be ‘over’,” he said.

People in Spain bring their pets for good luck at a local church
A priest in Pamplona blesses people’s pets during the feast of St Anthony, Spain’s patron saint of animals, in January. Experts say animals are more at risk of contracting COVID-19 from humans than transmitting the virus themselves [File: Alvaro Barrientos/Reuters]

“The challenge is, if we don’t pay attention to the virus’s circulation in animals, there’s a chance we could be caught out of the blue or blindsided when an entirely new variant emerges. from the animal reservoir and start infecting people again. ”

For now, however, humans remain the deadliest source of the virus – for both species and animals – even as COVID-19 precautions are lifted around the world.



Source link

newsofmax

News of max: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button
Immediate Matrix Immediate Maximum