Cecile Aenishaenslin
Teacher
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For several months now, it has been known that domestic animals, including cats, can contract and give away the virus. They may have symptoms of cough and fever, in particular.
Both cats were most likely infected by their owners, who were also infected with the virus.
The animals are part of a meager sample of five cats that have so far been tested by Cécile Aenishaenslin’s team.
“It is a new disease in cats that we have little documented before. So everything is to know, to discover ”, mentions the veterinarian.
In search of felines
In September 2020, the group of researchers therefore managed to develop a research protocol to study the risk of infection in cats in Quebec and Western Canada.
The team hopes to recruit 40 Quebec families struggling with COVID-19 who have one or more cats to study them.
If the two cases noted are the first to be made public, “it is possible that there were others. [au Québec sans qu’on le sache] », Underlines veterinarian Caroline Kilsdonk.
There is no indication that COVID-19 is serious for these little animals. The severity of the infection would be comparable to that observed in children, mentions Cécile Aenishaenslin, while there are few excretions, for example.
“After a year of pandemic, people know it is not dangerous for animals [domestiques] “, Relativizes Michel Pepin, spokesperson for the Association of veterinary surgeons of Quebec.
In addition, “a priori, the risk of retransmission of the virus from cats to humans is considered very low,” says Dr. Aenishaenslin.
Indeed, “our cats […] carry a low viral load, therefore a low quantity of virus, ”adds the veterinarian. This would reduce the risk of transmission, but make diagnosis more difficult.
However, we should not panic, even if Quebecers have flocked to pet stores to obtain pets.
“We do not want to alert the population, launches Cécile Aenishaenslin. We do not want people to be afraid neither for their animal nor for their own health and for example that they make quick and unfounded decisions like abandoning their pet. “
The University of Guelph is doing a similar study that includes dogs. There would have been a few cases in Canada, but not in Quebec, according to Dr. Aenishaenslin.
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