What do we know about COVID-19 and Pets?

What do we know about COVID-19 and Pets?

People continue to ask and I am repeating the info as not everyone sees everything posted. Dr. Gail Golab of  the American Veterinary Medical Association in conjunction with the CDC answer your most common questions regarding pets and COVID-19

On my Steve Dale’s Pet World Listen HERE as Dr. Gail Golab, Chief Veterinary Officer, Scientific Affairs and Public Policy at the American Veterinary Medical Association explains what we do know and what we still may not be sure of regarding COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) and companion animals.

Veterinarians deal with coronaviruses a lot and have for a very long time, canine and feline coronaviruses – which the two species don’t share with one another or share with people. Also, when we get the common cold it’s usually a human coronavirus (not to be confused with the novel coronavirus which is now impacting the entire planet) and dogs and cats have never gotten colds from humans. But as Dr. Golab notes, this virus is different, and it’s novel; we’re still learning about it.

There was a dog tested for the COVID-19 virus in Hong Kong, owned by someone who was suffering from COVID-19. The dog does have a low level of infection. But the dog has not become ill and has not been able to spread the virus to other dogs or to people. (Important to note: any animal may carry and infection does not equate with infectious). Still, the AVMA and particularly local veterinarians will continue to follow this one Pomeranian in Hong Kong.

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. announced that the company has tested thousands of dogs and cats for the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19), and thus far not a single positive test. These new test results align with the current expert understanding that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted person-to-person, and is now considered a human coronavirus.

IDEXX press release:

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDXX), a global leader in veterinary diagnostics and software, today announced that the company has seen no positive results in pets to date of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus strain responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) respiratory outbreak in humans. IDEXX evaluated thousands of canine and feline specimens during the validation of a new veterinary test system for the COVID-19 virus. The specimens used for test development and validation were obtained from specimens submitted to IDEXX Reference Laboratories for PCR testing.

These new test results align with the current expert understanding that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted person-to-person and support the recommendation against testing pets for the COVID-19 virus. For dogs or cats presenting with respiratory signs, the recommendation is to contact a veterinarian to test for more common respiratory pathogens.

“Should leading health authorities determine it is clinically relevant to test pets for the COVID-19 virus, IDEXX will be ready to make the IDEXX SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RealPCR™ Test available,” said Jay Mazelsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of IDEXX Laboratories. “Pets are important members of our family, and we want to keep them healthy and safe. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 and pet health across our global IDEXX Reference Laboratories network as this situation evolves.”

IDEXX Reference Laboratories is a global network of more than 80 laboratories united by a shared commitment to advancing pet care. IDEXX never stops looking for new ways to do more and discover more to enhance the health and well-being of pets, people, and livestock. Customers worldwide benefit from the company’s sophisticated network of veterinary reference laboratories in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil, and across Europe, which offer the most complete and advanced menu of tests in the industry.

Still, Dr. Golab says to use common sense regarding interactions with dogs and cats.  It makes sense to wash hands after handling any animal. If you are positive for COVID-19, it probably makes sense to have someone else in the home care for the animal (if possible).

Dr. Golab agrees that in this time of great stress, hearing cats purr in our ears, and taking walks with our dogs can help us to feel warm and fuzzier.

The American Veterinary Medical Association has stayed on top of this fluid situation and is arguably the most reliable resource. The AVMA and CDC do communicate with other. So many blogs and social media may be spreading misinformation – Dr. Golab and the AVMA are arguably the most trusted in this time of confusion and fear.

COVID-19 Spread on Surfaces, such as Pets?

Q: Can pets serve as fomites in the spread of COVID-19?

A:  Dr. Golab answers, “COVID-19 is usually primarily transmitted when there is contact with an infected person’s bodily secretions, such as saliva or mucus droplets in a cough or sneeze.

COVID-19 might be able to be transmitted by touching a contaminated surface or object (i.e., a fomite) and then touching the mouth, nose, or possibly eyes, but this appears to be a secondary route. Smooth (non-porous) surfaces (e.g., countertops, door knobs) transmit viruses better than porous materials (e.g., paper money, pet fur), because porous, and especially fibrous, materials absorb and trap the pathogen (virus), making it harder to contract through simple touch.

Because your pet’s hair is porous and also fibrous, it is very unlikely that you would contract COVID-19 by petting or playing with your pet. However, because animals can spread other diseases to people and people can also spread diseases to animals, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands before and after interacting with animals; ensure your pet is kept well-groomed; and regularly clean your pet’s food and water bowls, bedding material, and toys.”

The American Veterinary Medical Association is the go-to resource regarding COVID-19 and pets.

COVID-19 and animals: What do we know?

Abstract

Coronaviruses, which were generally considered harmless to humans before 2003, have appeared again with a pandemic threatening the world since December 2019 after the epidemics of SARS and MERS. It is known that transmission from person to person is the most important way to spread. However, due to the widespread host diversity, a detailed examination of the role of animals in this pandemic is essential to effectively fight against the outbreak. Although coronavirus infections in pets are known to be predominantly related to the gastrointestinal tract, it has been observed that there are human-to-animal transmissions in this outbreak and some animals have similar symptoms to humans. Although animal-to-animal transmission has been shown to be possible, there is no evidence of animal-to-human transmission.

Introduction

Coronaviruses are included in the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae of the family Coronaviridae. The Orthocoronovirinaea subfamily is classified into four genera (Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma-, and Delta-coronaviruses) and a number of subgenera below these genera.[1–3] Coronaviruses are enveloped ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses with a single chain and they do not contain RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzymes but encode these enzymes in their genomes. They have rod-like extensions on their surfaces.[1,4] Due to receptor protrusions, high frequency of mutations, and RNA instabilities, they exhibit a wide host range and can be found in humans, bats, pigs, cats, dogs, rodents, and poultry.

The first human coronavirus (HCoV) strain (HCoV-229E) was isolated from the nasal discharge of patients with a cold in the mid-1960s.[7] The strains of HCoV-229E and subsequent HCoV-OC43 have caused self-limiting, simple respiratory diseases.[ Before 2003, it was widely accepted that coronavirus infections were generally harmless to humans. In 2003, SARS-CoV was registered as the cause of the first serious coronavirus outbreak with more than 8,000 people infected and a mortality rate of approximately 10%. Ten years later, the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak resulted in a permanent epidemic in the Arabian Peninsula and spread sporadically to the rest of the world. Finally, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, broke out in China in December 2019, and it has been detected in more than 3,000,000 people till May 2020 and has caused more than 200,000 deaths

It is known that person-to-person transmission is the most important method of virus spread. However, to effectively fight this pandemic, which is considered a zoonotic disease, a detailed examination of the role of animals is essential.

COVID-19 disease in animals

Before the occurrence of the first highly pathogenic HCoV, SARS-CoV, there was little information about HCoVs, whereas extensive information about animal coronaviruses, their evolution, and pathobiology is available. It is known that tissue tropisms and virulence evolve very quickly; they cause severe infectious diarrhea in dogs (canine coronavirus), pigs (porcine respiratory coronavirus and swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus), and bats (porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and transmissible gastroenteritis virus), and infectious bronchitis attacks in some feline and poultry animals (infectious bronchitis virus and feline infectious peritonitis virus), and many medications are used for their treatment

Although in terms of genome sequencing, SARS-CoV-2 showed 96.2% identity with the coronavirus (RaTG13) detected in horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) in Yunnan province in 2013, it was not previously observed in animals. As the first case in animals, a positive test result was reported in a Pomeranian dog on February 28, 2020, by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Subsequently, positive test results were reported in two dogs, two domestic cats, four tigers, and three lions. Although dogs were asymptomatic, a domestic cat was found to have symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty in breathing, and the tigers and lions had a dry cough and wheezing.

In a study evaluating animals having close contact with people, it was shown that farm animals, including pigs, chickens, and ducks, were not susceptible to the virus. Dogs were poorly susceptible, but ferrets and especially young cats were very sensitive to SARS-CoV-2. When macaques from non-human primates were examined, SARS-CoV-2 was shown to produce clinical and radiological findings similar to the picture in humans, especially in the elderly.]

In animal autopsies, appearances only involving the upper respiratory tract were observed in ferrets, but serious lesions were found in the nasal and tracheal mucosal epithelium and lungs in cats. Although viral RNA was observed in the intestinal organs, no significant histological changes were observed. It was observed that viral RNA was positive until the 11th day in the washing samples taken from the noses and soft palates of the cats and ferrets and in the feces of the cats, and until the 6th day in the dogs.

COVID-19: Transmission from human to animal

Before the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 was not observed in animals. The fact that the owner of the Pomeranian dog, which was reported as the first positive animal case, was found to be positive before raised the issue of human-to-animal transmission. Subsequently, the tests of the owners of four dogs that were tested and a domestic cat with diarrhea and respiratory symptoms and positive test result were also positive. The positive test result of the caretaker of the tigers, which were found positive in the zoo, strengthened the view that there was a transmission from humans to animals. Because such data have been increasing day by day, the World Organization of Animal Health has suggested that human-to-animal transmission may occur, and therefore, COVID-19 patients should limit contact with pets and other animals until more information about the virus is known. All these suggest that the real effect of the disease can be felt for months beyond disease control.

COVID-19: Transmission from animal to animal

It is known that SARS-CoV, the first serious coronavirus epidemic agent, can infect domestic cats, although data on dogs cannot be found, and transmission among them can occur even if symptoms do not develop. Understanding the transmission potential of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from animal to the animal due to its genome sequences and receptor properties similar to SARS-CoV is very important for effective strategies against the pandemic. Preliminary studies showed that SARS-CoV-2 spread from cat to cat and that a specific neutralizing antibody against this type of SARS-CoV-2 was produced. In another study, viral RNA was found to be positive in all ferrets in the same cage with the virus incubated ferrets and in a few ferrets in the adjacent cage. Thus, it has been shown that animal-to-animal transmission by airway as well as by direct contact can occur. This information raises the concern that there may be an increase in the number of people leaving their pets. Computer simulations have been performed to estimate how this may affect outbreak-related outcomes, and it has been anticipated that the number of animals to be abandoned may reveal significant differences in the risk of transmission. It has been argued that quarantining animals at home would be a better strategy to control the spread of the virus

COVID-19: Transmission from animal to human

SARS-CoV-2 is considered to have been first transmitted from bats as the genome sequence was 96.2% identical to the coronavirus RaTG13 detected in horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) in Yunnan province in 2013. However, it is not yet known whether it was transmitted from bats to humans directly, or whether there was an intermediate host in the transmission. In addition, there is no evidence yet to show that there is reverse zoonosis from animals to humans, which will cause the epidemic to become panzoonotic. However, this potential public health concern requires further research.

Conclusion

It is known that transmission from person to person is the main route of spread in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It is recommended that people who are sick should limit their contact with pets and other animals, and quarantine their pets at home, owing to the demonstration of human-to-animal and animal-to-animal transmissions. Animal-to-human transmission has not yet been demonstrated, but given the potential public health concern, health strategies need to be restructured comprehensively, not only during this outbreak but also in potential future outbreaks.