A veterinarian in Thailand likely contracted the coronavirus from an infected cat last year, researchers have concluded in a new study. It is the first documented case of suspected cat-to-human transmission, although experts stress that the risk of cats infecting humans with the virus remains low overall.
One of the cat’s two owners, who both had COVID-19, likely passed the virus to the cat, which then sneezed in the vet’s face, according to the article, written by scientists at Thailand’s Prince of Songkla University. Genomic sequencing confirmed that the cat and the three people were infected with an identical version of the virus, which was not widespread in the local population at the time.
Cats are much more likely to catch the virus from people than to pass it on to them, scientists say. But the case is a reminder that people infected with the virus should take precautions with their pets, and that veterinarians and shelter workers who may come into contact with infected animals should do the same, said Dr. Scott Weese. , infectious disease veterinarian. at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
“When things turn into human diseases, too often we forget everything else,” he said. “I think it’s important that we recognize that this virus can still move between species.”
Previous research has shown that pet owners can infect their cats and that, under certain conditions, cats can pass the virus to each other. But it has been difficult to prove that cat-to-human transmission occurs in natural settings. (Mink, hamsters, and deer have been reported to transmit the virus to humans.)
The new paper appeared this week in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It makes a strong case for cat-to-human transmission, Dr. Weese said: “They have Pretty good story here.”
On August 4, a father and son in Bangkok developed symptoms of covid-19 and later tested positive for the virus. Due to a shortage of hospital beds in Bangkok, the two men were transported on August 8 to a hospital in Songkhla, a province in southern Thailand, in a 20-hour ambulance ride. For reasons that are unclear, they brought their pet cat.
When the men were admitted to the hospital, the cat was sent to a veterinary hospital for examination. Although the cat appeared to be healthy, the vet, a 32-year-old woman, collected nasal and rectal swabs, which tested positive for the virus. As the vet rubbed the cat’s nose, the animal sneezed in her face. (The vet wore gloves and a mask during the exam, but did not have a face shield or eye protection.)
On August 13, the vet developed symptoms of covid-19, including fever and cough. Shortly after, he tested positive for the virus.
Genomic sequencing revealed that the cat’s owners, the cat, and the vet were all infected with the same version of the Delta variant, which was distinct from viral samples taken from other patients in Songkhla at the time.
PCR tests suggest the cat had a high viral load at the time of her veterinary exam. None of the vet’s close contacts are known to have had COVID-19 at the time, and she had no prior encounters with the pet’s owners, supporting the theory that the cat was the vet’s source of infection. . (It was not clear if she met with the owners later.)
The CDC recommends that people infected with the virus avoid contact with their pets. “If you’re trying to stay away from people because you’re potentially infectious,” Dr. Weese said, “just try to stay away from animals at the same time.”
Source: www.nytimes.com