Some species can contract COVID-19 following close contact with infected humans. In Hong Kong, 17 dogs and 8 cats that had been residing with COVID-19 infected patients were tested by health officials who found evidence of the infection in two dogs. Cases of infected cats have been reported in Hong Kong and Belgium.
In Wuhan, researchers examined serum samples from 102 cats and
found COVID-19 antibodies in 15 of the sample. However, whilst animals can
become infected, they do not necessarily develop symptoms or become infectious
to humans. Evidence collected to date indicates that the following domestic
animals are susceptible to contracting the virus:
- Dogs: Whilst dogs can become
infected following contact with infected humans, it is rare, they display
mild or no symptoms and they cannot transmit the infection further.
- Rabbits: Similar to dogs,
whilst rabbits can become infected, they show no symptoms and do not
transmit the virus to other rabbits or other species.
- Cats: Can catch COVID-19 from
infected humans but display mild or no symptoms. Whilst they can spread
the infection to other cats, there is no evidence to date that they
transmit back to humans.
- Ferrets: Ferrets are susceptible to COVID-19 infection, do display symptoms and can pass the infection to other ferrets. Although there is no evidence of ferrets transmitting the disease back to humans, data from studies of mink infectious indicate a potential for ferrets to re-infect humans.
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