A dog has tested positive for Covid – the first documented case of its kind in the UK – officials have confirmed.
They believe the pet, who is recovering at home, caught it from its owner. (Source : BBC News, 11/11/2021)
- The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says cases like this are extremely rare and there is no strong evidence to suggest that dogs, cats or other pets are passing on the virus to humans.
- Owners and people who work with animals should wash their hands regularly though for good hygiene.
- Animal fur can act as a carrier for the Covid-19 virus for short periods of time, in the same way as other surfaces, such as door handles, says the advice.
The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:
- “The infected dog was undergoing treatment for another unrelated condition and is now recovering.
- “It is very rare for dogs to be infected and they will usually only show mild clinical signs, and recover within a few days.
- “There is no clear evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will update our guidance to pet owners should the situation change.”
Covid and animals
Some coronaviruses that infect animals can be spread to people and then spread between people, but this is also very rare.
It has been suggested that the Covid-19 virus probably originated in bats.
There have been reports of other animals infected with Sars-CoV-2.
Denmark killed millions of mink in November 2020 amid concerns about a mutated form of coronavirus detected in this species.
A few cases of Covid in pet cats, dogs and ferrets have been recorded around the world too.
And four lions, along with two keepers, tested positive at Barcelona Zoo.
The list of animals which have been infected includes:
- big cats in captivity
- domestic cats
- dogs
- ferrets
- fruit bats
- mink
- non-human primates
- pangolins
- pigs
- raccoon dogs
- rodents
- white-tailed deer
According to the UKHSA, there have been documented cases of humans catching Covid from mink and from ferrets.
Source : BBC News, 11/11/2021
Last Updated on 11.11.2021 by iskova
