COVID-19 May Strike More Cats Than Believed
FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Cat lovers, be aware: New research suggests that COVID-19 may be more common in cats than previously thought.
Scientists analyzed blood samples taken from 102 cats between January and March 2020 in Wuhan, China, after the world's first known outbreak of COVID-19 began in that city.
Fifteen of the cats had COVID-19 antibodies in their blood, and 11 of those cats had neutralizing antibodies that bind to the coronavirus and block infection.
None of the cats tested positive for COVID-19 or had obvious symptoms, and none of them died during follow-up, according to the study published online Sept. 1 in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections.
The cats in the study included 46 from three animal shelters, 41 from five pet hospitals, and 15 from families with COVID-19 patients.
The highest levels of antibodies were seen in three cats owned by patients who'd been diagnosed with COVID-19, but there were also signs of cats being infected with the virus by other cats from shelters or from pet hospitals.
While there is currently no evidence of transmission of the new coronavirus between humans and cats, people should consider taking precautions, said study author Meilin Jin, from Huazhong Agricultural University, in Wuhan.
"Although the infection in stray cats could not be fully understood, it is reasonable to speculate that these infections are probably due to the contact with SARS-CoV-2 polluted environment, or COVID-19 patients who fed the cats," Jin said in a journal news release.
"Therefore, measures should be considered to maintain a suitable distance between COVID-19 patients and companion animals such as cats and dogs, and hygiene and quarantine measures should also be established for those high-risk animals," Jin noted.
One of the findings was that the antibodies response in cats infected with the new coronavirus was similar to that seen in response to seasonal coronavirus infections, which suggests that cats who've been infected with the new coronavirus "remain at risk of re-infection," according to the researchers.
This antibody response is similar to what's seen in humans.
"We suggest that cats have a great potential as an animal model for assessing the characteristic of antibody against SARS-CoV-2 in humans," the study authors concluded.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on pets and COVID-19.
SOURCE: Emerging Microbes & Infections, news release, Sept. 1, 2020
COVID-19 inaweza kushambulia paka zaidi kuliko ilivyodhaniwa Ijumaa, Septemba 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) - Wapenzi wa paka, kuwa na ufahamu: Utafiti mpya unaonyesha kwamba COVID-19 inaweza kuwa ya kawaida zaidi kwa paka kuliko ilivyodhaniwa hapo awali. Wataalamu wa afya wa China wamechunguza sampuli za damu za paka 102 zilizochukuliwa kati ya Januari na Machi 2020 huko Wuhan, baada ya mlipuko wa kwanza wa COVID-19 kuanza katika mji huo. Pili ya paka hao walikuwa na antibodi za COVID-19 katika damu yao, na 11 kati ya paka hao walikuwa na antibodi za kutenganisha ambazo huunganisha na virusi vya corona na kuzuia maambukizi. Hakuna paka aliyepatikana na COVID-19 au dalili za wazi, na hakuna aliyekufa wakati wa ufuatiliaji, kulingana na utafiti uliochapishwa mtandaoni Septemba 1 katika jarida la Emerging Microbes & Infections. Wanyama hao walikuwa 46 kutoka makao matatu ya wanyama, 41 kutoka hospitali tano za wanyama, na 15 kutoka familia zilizo na wagonjwa wa COVID-19. Kiwango cha juu cha antibodi kilionekana katika paka watatu waliomilikiwa na wagonjwa waliogunduliwa kuwa na COVID-19, lakini pia kulikuwa na dalili za paka kuambukizwa virusi na paka wengine kutoka kwa makazi au hospitali za wanyama. """Hakuna ushahidi wa maambukizi ya virusi vya corona kati ya binadamu na paka, lakini watu wanapaswa kuzingatia kuchukua tahadhari,"" alisema Meilin Jin, mwandishi wa utafiti kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Kilimo cha Huazhong huko Wuhan." "Hata ingawa maambukizi katika paka waangalizi hayawezi kueleweka kikamilifu, ni busara kudhani kuwa maambukizi haya labda ni kwa sababu ya kuwasiliana na mazingira ya SARS-CoV-2 iliyochafuliwa, au wagonjwa wa COVID-19 ambao waliwapa paka chakula, ""Jin alisema katika jarida la habari." "Kwa hivyo, hatua zinapaswa kuzingatiwa ili kudumisha umbali unaofaa kati ya wagonjwa wa COVID-19 na wanyama wa ushirika kama paka na mbwa, na hatua za usafi na karantini zinapaswa pia kuanzishwa kwa wanyama hao wa hatari kubwa. """ "Utafiti huo ulionyesha kwamba majibu ya kingamwili katika paka walioambukizwa na virusi vya corona ni sawa na yale yaliyoonekana katika majibu ya maambukizi ya coronavirus ya msimu, ambayo inaonyesha kwamba paka ambao wameambukizwa virusi vya corona ""wanaendelea kuwa na hatari ya kuambukizwa tena.""" Jibu hili la kinga ni sawa na lile linaloonekana kwa wanadamu. "Tunaonyesha kwamba paka wana uwezo mkubwa kama mfano wa wanyama wa kutathmini sifa ya kingamwili dhidi ya SARS-CoV-2 kwa wanadamu, ""waandishi wa utafiti walimaliza." Vituo vya Udhibiti na Kuzuia Magonjwa vya Marekani vimechapisha ripoti ya utafiti wa COVID-19 kwa ajili ya wanyama wa kufugwa na COVID-19. "Mfano: ""Uchunguzi wa Microbes na Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa"" (Uchunguzi wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa wa Ugonjwa"