Press Releases

Study Suggests Humans Can Spread COVID-19 Virus to Cats

‘It will be important to monitor for human-to-cat, cat-to-cat and cat-to-human transmission.’

Published

4 years ago

April 26, 2021

PETS+ Staff

(PRESS RELEASE) New research provides evidence that people have transmitted SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to cats during the pandemic in the UK.

The study, which is published in Veterinary Record, detected the virus last year in cats that developed mild or severe respiratory disease.

Investigators used a range of laboratory techniques to show that two domestic cats from households with suspected cases of COVID-19 were infected with SARS-CoV-2.

“These findings indicate that human-to-cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, with the infected cats displaying mild or severe respiratory disease,” said lead author Margaret Hosie, PhD, of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. “Given the ability of the coronavirus to infect companion animals, it will be important to monitor for human-to-cat, cat-to-cat and cat-to-human transmission.”

NASC Media Spotlight

At first it was just an idea: Animal supplements needed the same quality control that human-grade supplements receive. But that was enough to start a movement and an organization —the National Animal Supplement Council — that would be dedicated to establishing a comprehensive path forward for the animal supplements industry. In this Media Spotlight interview, NASC’s president, Bill Bookout, talks to PETS+ interviewer Chloe DiVita about the industry today: Where it’s headed, what’s the latest focus and why it’s vital to gain the involvement of independent pet product retailers.