Two cases of humans passing Covid onto cats found by Glasgow scientists
Scientists from the University of Glasgow found the cases of Covid 19 as part of a screening programme. (Image: Getty Images)
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Thank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee ourprivacy notice Scots boffins have found two cases of humans passing on coronavirus to cats.
SCIENTISTS have identified cases of human-to-cat transmission of Covid. Researchers from the University of Glasgow found two cases of SARS-CoV-2 transmission as part of a screening programme of the feline population in the UK. Researchers believe both pets were infected by their owners, who had Covid-19 symptoms before the cats became unwell. The study, published in the Veterinary Record, said there is currently no evidence of cat-to-human transmission or that cats, dogs or other domestic animals play any big role in the epidemiology of human Covid infections. But the scientists said domestic animals could potentially act as a “viral reservoir” allowing continued transmission, and said it is important to improve understanding of whether pets can play a role in infecting humans.
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Issued: Fri, 23 Apr 2021 05:01:00 BST
A team of scientists at the University of Glasgow has identified two known cases of human-to-cat COVID-19 transmission in the UK.
In the study, led by the University of Glasgow and published today in the Veterinary Record, researchers describe two cases of human-to-cat SARS-CoV-2 transmission, found as part of a COVID-19 screening programme of the feline population in the UK.
The cats, both different breeds, came from two separate households and displayed mild to severe respiratory signs. Researchers from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR) in partnership with the Veterinary Diagnostic Service of the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, believe both cats were infected by their owners, who were also displaying COVID-19 symptoms prior to the cats becoming unwell.
Date Time
Study Uncovers Human-to-Cat Transmission of Virus That Causes COVID-19
New research provides evidence that people have transmitted SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to cats during the pandemic in the UK. The study, which is published in Veterinary Record, detected the virus last year in cats that developed mild or severe respiratory disease.
Investigators used a range of laboratory techniques to show that two domestic cats from households with suspected cases of COVID-19 were infected with SARS-CoV-2.
“These findings indicate that human-to-cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, with the infected cats displaying mild or severe respiratory disease. Given the ability of the coronavirus to infect companion animals, it will be important to monitor for human-to-cat, cat-to-cat and cat-to-human transmission,” said lead author Margaret Hosie, PhD, of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.