Veterinarians still say it is highly unlikely that the virus can be transmitted from humans to pets, and vice versa.
Whether or not your pet can become infected with the COVID-19 virus has produced some confusion. While some reports have surfaced that pets cannot contract the virus, other reports say it is still possible. So what’s the truth?
“The facts haven’t really changed, although we continue to develop more nuanced understanding,” said Dr. Kate Creevy, associate professor of small animal internal medicine and the Mark Chapman Chair in Shelter Medicine at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
To begin with, she said, the name of the virus is SARS-CoV-2. The name of the illness that people get is COVID-19. Currently, there is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is being transmitted between people and pets, or from pet-to-pet, Creevy said.
“Also, there are no reports of a person becoming ill with COVID-19 after acquiring the virus from a dog or cat,” she said. “With thousands and thousands of cases diagnosed around the world, this type of transmission has not yet been shown to happen, which tells us that it is rare, if it happens at all.”
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