A Michigan house cat has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after a close contact with its owners who were infected with coronavirus, according to state officials.
The domestic shorthair cat from Ingham County is the first such case in Michigan, though there have been hundreds of confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 in animals throughout the U.S. The cat was tested after it began to sneeze, and it has since recovered, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Dr. Nora Wineland, a state veterinarian, said the case isn’t unexpected, given that other pets around the world had previously tested positive. As of Oct. 18, there had been 257 confirmed cases in animals, including 99 cats. Other animals that have been infected include dogs, ferrets, otters, primates, mink, and white-tailed deer.
Wineland said the cases in animals have generally involved direct contact with an owner or caretaker who was ill or tested positive for COVID-19. There’s no evidence to suggest animals are playing a significant role in transmission to humans, according to MDARD.
“COVID-19 mainly spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets from coughing, sneezing, and talking,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive, in a prepared statement. “Protecting pets begins by taking precautions to protect yourself by getting one of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said more research is needed to understand how different animals could be affected by SARS-CoV-2. While rare, some coronaviruses can spread from animals to people, which the CDC said is likely what initially occurred with bats containing SARS-CoV-2.
Such was the case with a Michigan mink farm earlier in the pandemic. A small number of people were infected with SARS-CoV-2 that contained unique mink-related mutations, according to the CDC, which suggests mink-to-human spread might have occurred. Similar occurrences have been reported in the Netherlands and Denmark.
To further protect your pets, the health department recommends avoiding direct contact with your animals when sick, including kissing and touching them, or sharing a bed and/or food with them.
Have another person in the house care for your pets while you’re sick. If that’s not possible, consider wearing a mask and washing your hands before and after interacting with the animals.
Symptoms of coronavirus infection in animals include fever, sneezing, coughing, nasal and eye discharge, vomiting and/or diarrhea. If you’re concerned that your pet might be sick with the virus, contact your veterinarian.
For more information, check out the CDC’s webpage on animals & COVID-19, here.
Read more on MLive:
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