Previous research has shown that pet owners can infect their cats, and that under certain conditions cats can transmit the virus to each other. But it has been difficult to prove that cat-to-human transmission occurs in natural environments. (Mink, hamsters and deer have been reported to transmit the virus to humans.)
The new article appeared this week in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, which is published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This makes a strong case for cat-to-human transmission, Dr Weese said: “They have a pretty good story here. »
On August 4, a father and son in Bangkok developed symptoms of Covid-19 and later tested positive for the virus. Due to a shortage of hospital beds in Bangkok, the two men were taken to a hospital in Songkhla, a province in southern Thailand, on August 8 via a 20-hour ambulance ride. For reasons that are unclear, they brought their pet cat.
When the men were admitted to hospital, the cat was sent to a veterinary hospital for an examination. Although the cat appeared to be healthy, the vet, a 32-year-old woman, took nasal and rectal swabs, which tested positive for the virus. As the vet dabbed the cat’s nose, the animal sneezed into its face. (The vet wore gloves and a mask during the exam, but no face shield or eye protection.)