The government believes that vaccination will reduce the coronavirus pandemic. The eligibility rules are constantly evolving but, for the moment, only concern Men. Do animals need doses? This is the question that agitates the scientific world.
Will our dogs, cats or even our turtles soon have to go to the vet to be vaccinated against the coronavirus? For now, the French government has not opened vaccination to domestic animals. However, scientists are questioning the need to do so for certain specific species, reports BBC Thursday April 1.
Several sick animals
On May 2, 2020, a cat had tested positive for Covid-19 at the national veterinary school of Maisons-Alfort (Val-de-Marne). This case is not isolated. Two months later, the situation repeated itself in the United Kingdom. “This is a very rare event, the infected animals detected to date showing only mild clinical signs and recovering in a few days”, had certified the chief veterinarian of the United Kingdom, Christine Middlemiss. On January 11, a 48-year-old gorilla contracted the virus at the San Diego Zoo (California).
While these animals recovered quickly, the mink did not. Many have died. Moreover, scientists are still wondering about the role of these animals raised for their fur. Would they have favored the spread of the virus in the world? Last November, Denmark decided to slaughter 17 million animals.
Some endangered species
Pets and animals living in zoos can therefore be infected but do they transmit the coronavirus? Scientists could not prove it. They do not yet know if they play a significant role in the spread of the virus. Several experts, including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), have already spoken against vaccination for cats and dogs. On the other hand, gorillas and primates would be threatened with extinction if they did not receive doses.
Russian researchers have developed the world’s first vaccine for pets, dubbed Carnivak-Cov. Since last October, the country has tested it on dogs, cats, mink, foxes. On Wednesday March 31, Russia announced the approval of the drug. It will be mass produced starting this month. The American veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis is also looking to design its own drug.
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