Shortly after the COVID-19 first attacked humans in Wuhan, China, scientists largely concluded that the virus originated in humans. animals.
Three years after its zoonotic jump, COVID-19 continues to infect a wide range of animals, and domestic pets common are no exception. This represents a unique challenge for doctors and other medical professionals in all fields.
What can we do?
To mitigate the spread of COVID-19 from companion animals that test positive to humans. The CDC encourages healthcare professionals, veterinarians and other public health officials to adopt the approach One Health. By establishing an open flow of communication to create effective care plans.
The role of animals in variant selection
Let’s go back to basics: the pandemic COVID-19 It is the result of viral transmission from animals to humans. That contagion has continued to return to animals at an ever-increasing rate, which could have notable consequences on the virus evolution.
According to a study published by the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences, the repeated transmission of the virus between species can cause it to quickly adapt to a new environment or host body. This can cause the initiation of new strains of SARS-CoV-2which can alter the pathogenicity and transmissibility of the virus.
Compounding the problem is the fact that common pets have tested positive for the disease. There is a widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between cats, mink and deer, among other species.
Recent “spill” events…
The “spill” incidents involve animals, most recently feral cats living on a mink farm in the Netherlands. These cats were seropositive for COVID-19, likely due to mink exposure. Meanwhile, the domestic cats on the farm tested seronegative.
Other spill event Notably, it affected free-range white-tailed deer in Michigan, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. These deer exhibited a 33% seropositive rate.
A subsequent PCR test confirmed that a White-tailed deer in Ohio also contracted the virus. Therefore, the existence of reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic animals and wildlife.
Additionally, around 50% of households worldwide have cats and dogs, which can contract and transmit the viruspossibly in the form of a new variant.
The good news is that, based on the limited data available, there is a relatively low risk of humans contracting COVID from animals. But, as we have seen in the initial transmission of COVID to humans, it is still possible.
Take a One Health Approach
Although the CDC states that the primary mode of transmission of COVID-19 to humans is exposure to other infected humans, there are still important steps to take when a companion animal tests positive.
Like humans, animals can exhibit the following symptoms as a result of a COVID-19 infection: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sneezing, runny nose and eyes, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If a companion animal tests positive, CDC recommends that state, local, and federal animal health and public health partners use the One Health approach to reduce human exposure to the infected animal.
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