(New York) Two cats were sick with the coronavirus in New York, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) said on Wednesday, for which they are the first two pets officially affected by COVID- 19 in the United States.
Posted on April 22, 2020 at 5:29 p.m.
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Both animals suffered from respiratory problems, but the vets who examined them expect a full recovery, the CDC, national public health authorities, said.
In the case of the first cat, no member of the household exhibited symptoms of the disease. But in the absence of serological tests, it could not be determined whether one or more of them carried the virus.
On the other hand, the master of the second feline tested positive.
While these are the first examples of pet contamination in the United States, several cases have already been reported in the rest of the world.
In Belgium, an infected cat exhibited respiratory problems, while in Hong Kong and Wuhan animals have tested positive.
Researchers and health authorities agree that there is no evidence to date that a domestic animal plays a role in transmitting the virus to humans or other animals.
However, the CDC asks cat owners to keep them as much as possible indoors, to avoid contact with people other than the household or other animals.
They also recommend that dog owners subject them to the same social distancing rules as humans when they are away from their homes.
In the event that any member of the household becomes ill, they are advised not to interact with their pet (s), just as they would any other human being.
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