Pets
found positive for Covid-19 must be quarantined
April
9, 2020
KUALA
LUMPUR: Pets owned by private individuals which have been confirmed positive
for Covid-19 must be isolated and quarantined for 14 days for monitoring
purposes.
Senior
lecturer (veterinary immunology) and researcher in pet disease at the Faculty
of Veterinary Science in Universiti Putra Malaysia, Dr Farina Mustaffa Kamal,
said if these pets displayed any health issues during this period, their owners
should consult the District Veterinary Services Department for further action.
She
said although there was no evidence of pets spreading Covid-19 infections, they
could themselves be infected by the disease as reported by the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
“Two
cases of Covid-19 infections involving pets (a cat and a dog) contracted from
their owners have been reported in Belgium and Hong Kong.
“These
pets were suspected to have contracted the disease through close contact with
Covid-19 positive persons through kisses, hugs or general management,” she told
Bernama when contacted.
However,
Dr Farina said, so far the number of infected pets was very small and there was
no clear information of the symptoms of animals infected with Covid-19, with
the majority not displaying any signs.
“Only
one cat in Belgium displayed symptoms of breathing difficulties, diarrhea and
vomiting. However, it must be remembered that other virus or bacteria can also
cause these same symptoms in animals,” she said.
Dr
Farina stressed that it was better for pet owners to impose early quarantine
and isolation measures on their animals as soon as they realise that they had
symptoms of Covid-19 infection.
She
added that there was no clear evidence that certain species of animals were
naturally more susceptible to infections, but said with the current Covid-19
pandemic, pet owners are encouraged to isolate their animals in the house.
“So
far, experimental studies show that the virus can infect cats, ferrets, and
monkeys,” she said, adding that ferrets and monkeys were the laboratory animals
used in studies on coronavirus.
On
stray animals, Dr Farina said it was difficult to check on stray cats as they
were not used to human interaction.
“Logically-speaking,
there is less close contact between humans and stray cats through kisses and
hugs, but the recommendations by the OIE and the World Health Organisation must
be observed when managing pets and stray animals,” she said.
Dr
Farina said generally-speaking, coronavirus was a large family of virus which
infected different species of animals. — BERNAMA
.
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