New York : Yes, pets and other animals can carry the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but health officials say their risk of spreading it to people is low.
Dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, otters, hyenas and white-tailed deer are among the animals that have tested positive in most cases after being infected with infected people.
While you don’t need to worry much about getting COVID-19 from your pet, they should worry about getting it from you. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should avoid contact with pets, farm animals and wildlife, as well as other people.
“If you don’t go near another person because you’re sick or you may have been exposed, don’t go near another animal,” says Dr. Scott Weiss at the Ontario Veterinary College.
Not all infected pets get sick and serious illness is extremely rare. The CDC says that pets showing symptoms usually get mildly ill.
Some zoos in the US and elsewhere have vaccinated big cats, primates, and other animals believed to be at risk of contracting the virus from coming into contact with people.
This particular coronavirus first jumped from animals to humans, causing a pandemic because the virus spreads so easily between people. But it does not easily spread from animals to humans. According to Waze, minks are the only known animal to have caught the virus from people and spread it back.
Three countries in northern Europe have reported cases of the virus spreading from people to mink at mink farms. The virus spread to animals before going back to farm workers.
Weiss says how easily animals can acquire and spread the virus varies with different types, and the best way to prevent the virus from spreading to animals is to control it between people.
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