Many owners of these pets had developed respiratory symptoms several weeks before their pets became ill and had also tested positive for COVID-19.
All of these pets had an acute onset of cardiac disease, including severe myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).
“Our study reports the first cases of cats and dogs affected by the COVID-19 alpha variant and highlights, more than ever, the risk that companion animals can become infected with SARS-CoV-2,” said lead author Luca Ferasin, DVM, Ph.D., of The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre, in the UK.
They also reported the atypical clinical manifestations characterized by severe heart abnormalities, which is a well-recognized complication in people affected by COVID-19 but has never been described in pets before.
However, COVID-19 infection in pets remains a relatively rare condition and, based on observations, it seems that the transmission occurs from humans to pets, rather than vice versa.
Source: Medindia
