If you have a Kovid-19, keep a distance from your cat. According to a British study published in the medical journal Veterinary Record, the owners of small fibers showing symptoms of Kovid-19 transmitted the virus to them.

In total, two cases of human-to-cat transmission have been identified by scientists at the University of Glasgow. They made this discovery part of a screening program for feline populations in the United Kingdom.

A four month old kitten euthanized

The first infected cat, a Ragdol breed, was only four months old. It came from a house in which its owner developed Kovid-19 symptoms in late March 2020, although they were not tested.

The kitten was taken in April 2020 for breathing difficulties, but her condition worsened and she had to become insensitive. Damage with viral pneumonia was detected in lung samples from postmortem and there was evidence of Kovid-19 infection.

The second cat was a six-year-old Siamese woman where one of the owners tested positive for Kovid-19. The cat was taken to the vet with a runny nose and conjunctivitis. Fortunately, her symptoms remained mild and the cat was able to recover. The Kovid-19 infection was later confirmed.

In light of these two cases, scientists believe that the true frequency of human-to-animal transmission may be underestimated, as animal testing is limited.

a “Viral reservoir”

The study suggests that there is no evidence of transmission from cats to humans or that cats, dogs, or other pets play an important role in the epidemiology of human infection with Kovid-19, a Guardian article specifies.

But scientists said that pets can act like one “Viral reservoir”Permission continued, and it was better to understand whether pets could play a role in infecting humans.

For Professor Margaret Hosey, Head of Studies, “Animal-to-human transmission represents a relatively low risk to public health in areas where human-to-human transmission remains high. However, as human cases decrease, the possibility of animal-to-animal transmission becomes increasingly important, as is a potential source for breeding Saras-Cove-2 in humans..