will our pets be spared?

In China, residents of provinces contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 have reportedly been told to get rid of their pets. Objective: to reduce the risk of contamination by infected dogs and cats. Does this measure make sense? Not sure, warns the Institut Pasteur.

It is now widely accepted that the bat constitutes the initial reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for pandemic of Covid-19. But the question still arises of the role that pets could play in its spread. Can they be sick? Serve as intermediaries? Amplifiers? To provide a first answer to these questions, researchers from the Pasteur Institute and the Alfort Veterinary School (France) conducted a study on the dogs and cats.

Recently, a chinese study – not yet validated by peers – suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 could in particular infect cats. Who could even contaminate each other via of "Respiratory droplets". Sparing dogs, however. Conclusions that the researchers drew after inoculating the coronavirus to animals in the laboratory.

Low risk of infection

To find out what it is in real conditions, the researchers at the Institut Pasteur tested 9 cats and 12 dogs, the owners of which had, for several, shown clinical signs compatible with a coronavirus infection. Two had even tested positive. Some animals did show signs of infection. But none could be tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by method PCR. A method which makes it possible to detect the presence of the coronavirus in an individual and therefore to diagnose sick animals. Serological tests – used to identify individuals who have developed immunity against the coronavirus and therefore having been sick – also did not find aantibody in their blood.

The researchers point out that these are preliminary results. They still allow us to suggest that our pets, essentially dogs and cats, are not easily infected with coronavirus. Even when they live in close contact with an affected human.

No, pets do not transmit the coronavirus to humans

There is " no proof "That pets and farm animals can transmit the new coronavirus, health agency said on Wednesday Handles, pointing out that it was " unlikely " that the virus back from human to animal.

ABSMARTHEALTH article with AFP-Relaxnews published on 16/03/2020

The case of a dog tested "fkindly positive " the new virus in Hong Kong in late February, when his owner was himself infected, raised questions about human-animal infections. ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) therefore brought together " emergency A group of experts to study this question and the related one contamination by ingestion of meat.

" To the light from available scientific knowledge, there is no evidence that pets and farm animals play a role in the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus ", Concludes ANSES. Even if the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes Covid-19 disease, was probably born in a bat before going through another species, then to be transmitted to Man, his passage " from humans to another animal species currently seems unlikely ", Say the experts.

They put forward in particular the fact that " no virus From the same group as this new coronavirus has never been detected in a domestic animal. Indeed, if in certain species, the receptor to which SARS-CoV-2 attaches to enter cells is present, this presence is not sufficient to allow the virus replication, explains ANSES, recommending however additional studies to identify the factors allowing this replication.

No digestive tract contamination

Experts also believe that the detection of the virus in the nasal and oral cavities of the Hong Kong dog is not proof of the animal's infection, raising the possibility of " passive contamination "(Survival of the virus on a mucosa without replicating it). However, they call for further studies on this point.

Excluding the contamination of a farm animal, ANSES therefore also excludes the possibility of transmission of the virus by eating meat from such an animal. For experts, the only possible way of contamination of food is its manipulation by a sick person. In the current state of knowledge, contamination by the digestive tract is ruled out, the report said. In contrast, an infection of the respiratory tract during chewing " cannot be excluded "

The agency advocates for good hygiene practices and notes that cooking at 63 ° C for four minutes makes it possible to divide by 10,000 the risk of contamination of a food product.

This will also interest you

Coronavirus versus Flu: their differences, their similarities At the very beginning of the epidemic, Covid-19 was compared to the flu, with some calling it "the flu." However, it is not. Since then, scientists around the world have shared their observations, drawing in particular on those of the Chinese.

Did you like this article ? Don't hesitate to share it with your friends and help us to promote ABSMARTHEALTH :)! The editorial team thanks you.

The post will our pets be spared? appeared first on Smart Be Well.