UK: Pet cat becomes first animal to test positive for coronavirus in the country

The United Kingdom health officials on July 27 reportedly informed that a pet cat has become the first animal in the country to be infected with the coronavirus. While the officials insisted that there was ‘no evidence’ that the cat could pass the deadly virus, it was reported that the case was confirmed after several laboratory tests were carried out earlier this month in Surrey. According to an international media outlet, the UK’s chief veterinary officer confirmed the case. 

The officials in a reported statement said that ‘all available evidence’ indicated that the cat likely contracted the disease from its owners who had tested positive for coronavirus. further, the environment ministry insisted that the feline poses no risk. The minister reportedly said that although this is the first confirmed case of an animal infection with the coronavirus strain in the UK, there is no evidence to suggest that the animal was involved in the transmission of the disease. 

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According to the report, the cat was initially diagnosed by a private vet as having the feline herpes virus. However, the sample was also tested for COVID-19 and proved positive. While speaking to the media outlet, the Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss called the case a ‘rare event’. The vet further, however, added that there was ‘no evidence’ to suggest that pets directly transmit the deadly virus to humans. 

While this is the first such case in the United Kingdom, there have been reports of animal contracting coronavirus elsewhere. Previously, two pet cats in New York, the US had also tested positive for the virus. 

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Human-cat-human transmission 

As per reports, the deadly coronavirus is believed to have spread from bats to humans; and other than a few scattered reports of cats and dogs becoming infected, there has been no strong evidence that pets can be carriers of the coronavirus. However, a recent lab experiment reportedly suggested that cats can spread the deadly coronavirus to other cats without any of them ever having symptoms.  

The scientists in the research wrote that the lab experiment shows that there is a public health need to recognise and further investigate the potential chain of human-cat-human transmission. The experiment by the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine left the researchers worried that the infected animals could pass the virus to many others. 

(Image: Rep/Unsplash)

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