There has been a transmission of a new case of COVID-19 from mink back to human in the Netherlands, which is why the claim that cats and dogs can spread Coronavirus needs to be researched further.
It is now known that the SARS-CoV-2 can affect not only humans but also pets and other domestic and wild animals. Research literature has shown that bats are the initial reservoir hosts of SARS-CoV-2, and pangolins are suggested as an intermediate host.1 However, little is known concerning the role of pets and other animals in the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, updated knowledge about the potential role of pets in the current outbreak will be of paramount importance for effective prevention and control of the disease.
A recent research finding from the Netherlands suggested that there has been a transmission of a new case of COVID-19 from mink back to human (an employee who worked in a mink farm). This was supported by viral sequence similarities between an infected employee and the virus found from a mink on the same farm, leading the researchers to conclude that one employee the mink farm was infected by the virus transmitted from an infected mink with no apparent disease manifestation.2
An in-depth investigation3 using whole genome sequencing of outbreaks on 16 mink farms and the humans living or working on these farms that concluded that where whole genomes were available, these persons were infected with strains with an animal sequence signature, providing evidence of animal to human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within mink farms.
While the main source of infection transmission is human to human, there are a few rare cases reported of pets contracting the infection from a SARS-CoV-2-infected human. Available research4 suggests that companion animals may theoretically play a role by either establishing a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2, or even potentially being able to spread COVID-19 to other people in the household or people being in close contact with the animals.
Furthermore, although there is no definitive evidence that pets actively transmit SARS-CoV-2 via animal-to-human transmission, elderly people who own pets may be at risk due to the circumstances. Firstly, because they are the most vulnerable population and secondly, by increasing the exposition risk for the elderly due to the necessity to care for the pet and, in the case of dogs, to take them outside the house several times per day. People should thus be advised to always follow standard handwashing practices before and after interacting with their pets.
In the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the situation is rapidly evolving and in light of the recent evidence, we should be aware of the possibility that humans can potentially acquire the infection from animals, including pets or other domesticated species. Therefore, the usual precautionary measures should always be there as one part of a disease prevention strategy when dealing or spending time with companion animals. Tracing of SARS-CoV-2 infection of pets especially for those whose owners are positive and consecutive isolation would also be important for preventing the resurgence of COVID-19.
Source:
1 Kiros M, et al. COVID-19 pandemic: current knowledge about the role of pets and other animals in disease transmission. Virol J. 2020; 17: 143. doi: 10.1186/s12985-020-01416-9
2 Oreshkova N, et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection in farmed minks, the Netherlands, April and May 2020. Eurosurveillance. 2020;25(23):2001005. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2001005.
3 Csiszar A, et al. Companion animals likely do not spread COVID-19 but may get infected themselves. GeroScience. 2020;42(5):1229–36. doi: 10.1007/s11357-020-00248-3
4 Oude Munnink BB, et al. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on mink farms between humans and mink and back to humans. Science 2020;eabe5901. DOI: 10.1126/science.abe5901
UIN:58HP19R