Pets Don’t Spread The Coronavirus

In the reports and scientific publications of veterinarians in many countries, there is no evidence that cats and dogs can spread the coronavirus to people

The reports and scientific publications from World Health Organization (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as well as from many veterinary medical associations in countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK and Turkey show no evidence that cats and dogs can spread the coronavirus to humans. Only one dog has been found to carry the virus in small amounts. And in this specific case, the cause of infection was the transmission from the coronavirus positive owner. Some countries have conducted research on thousands of cats and dogs after this case, and none of them was corona positive. None of the coronavirus cases ever detected in humans result from cats or dogs. Thus, the virus is considered to have been transmitted from person to dog. The available data show and all the scientific community states that there is no infection from cats or dogs to humans. So, one of the goals of the scientific community today is to shed light on the infection cycle of the coronavirus. According to the findings, there is a possibility that the disease will be transmitted to animals through close contact of sick people. (Only 1 case)

PET OWNERS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THESE

If all pet owners follow the basic hygiene and biosafety rules, the health of humans and animals can be mutually protected. These include washing hands before and after touching the food, belongings of animals and avoiding close contact. These rules are not exclusive to the coronavirus. They need to be followed at all times to protect the health of humans and animals. As our pets are also living beings, the rules to prevent infecting other people also apply to them.

It is important to prevent our pets from contacting stray animals also in normal conditions as it can lead to the transmission of many disease factors. There is also the risk of disease transmission to humans when people pet stray animals. Thus, basic hygiene and biosafety rules should also be followed while petting stray animals.

No transmission from dog to dog has been reported so far. However, as we mentioned, there is always the risk of disease transmission from stray dogs. Therefore, we advise you to prevent your pets from coming into contact with stray animals as you should always do.

People with coronavirus or under medical supervision should avoid close contact with their pets as much as possible. If necessary, other people should take care of these pets. If sick people need to take care of their own pets, they should follow the biosafety and hygiene rules stated above.

Since there is only one case worldwide, it remains unknown whether dogs play a role in spreading the coronavirus. As the infection cycle is from person to person,the rules specified by the T.R. Ministry of Health must be followed against infection by humans. The spread of the virus from pets to humans or among pets has not been observed so far. If any risk emerges from pets, the new situation will be clearly reported by all organizations.

Chairperson of the Turkish Veterinary Medical Association Central Council  Ali Eroğlu