COVID-19, the virus responsible for the current pandemic we’re in, has been found in a cat in the UK after the pet was tested.
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This is the first confirmed case of its kind in the UK. The diagnosis was confirmed by a lab recently, but it’s not believed the cat is experiencing serious symptoms. It’s also understood that the cat is unable to transmit the virus to humans, but more research in this area is needed. All the evidence so far suggests it got the virus from its owners, who previously tested positive. It’s not clear if the cat would be able to spread it to other domestic animals, but it could be assumed that this is possible. That is purely speculative on my part though, and shouldn’t be taken as facts.
The current advice is that any contact with animals should be followed with washing of hands/wherever came in contact with the animal.
The rest of the household has since tested negative, and the owners, who had the virus, have made a full recovery.
Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: “Tests conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency have confirmed that the virus responsible for COVID-19 has been detected in a pet cat in England.
“This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date only showing mild clinical signs and recovering within in a few days.
“There is no 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.”
Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England, added: “This is the first case of a domestic cat testing positive for COVID-19 in the UK but should not be a cause for alarm.
“The investigation into this case suggest that the infection was spread from humans to animal, and not the other way round. At this time, there is no evidence that pets can transmit the disease to humans.
“In line with the general advice on fighting coronavirus, you should wash your hands regularly, including before and after contact with animals.”
The cat was initially diagnosed at a private vets, and also tested positive for a feline version of the herpes virus. An additional sample found the coronavirus, and it’s believed it was sent to a lab for further analysis.
