Human-to-cat coronavirus transmission identified by scientists in Britain
- Researchers believe the pets were infected by their owners, who had Covid-19 symptoms before the cats became unwell
- There have been reports of cats from Covid-positive households in countries including Hong Kong, Belgium and the US that tested positive for Sars-CoV-2
Two cases of human-to-cat transmission of coronavirus have been identified by researchers.
Scientists from the University of Glasgow found the cases of Sars-CoV-2 transmission as part of a screening programme of the feline population in Britain. The cats, of different breeds, were living in separate households and displayed mild to severe respiratory signs.
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 appreciable 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.
Professor Margaret Hosie, from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research and lead author of the study, said: “These two cases of human-to-animal transmission, found in the feline population in the UK, demonstrate why it is important that we improve our understanding of animal Sars-CoV-2 infection.
“Currently, animal-to-human transmission represents a relatively low risk to public health in areas where human-to-human transmission remains high.
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