Pets are catching COVID from their owners

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Pets are catching COVID off their owners, reveals new research.

The alpha, or Kent, variant which triggered Britain's devastating second wave in January, has been detected in four cats and two dogs.

It caused severe myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, in all the animals.

The rare cardiovascular disease has been reported in patients diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Transmission is occurring from humans to pets - rather than the other way round, say scientists.

Study lead author Dr. Luca Ferasin, a cardiologist at The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre in Marlow, England, said: "Our study reports the first cases of cats and dogs affected by the COVID-19 alpha variant.

"It highlights, more than ever, the risk that companion animals can become infected with SARS-CoV-2."

The strain, also known as B.1.1.7, swept Kent last autumn and became dominant in the UK by January and in the US by March.

It rapidly outcompeted pre-existing forms of the virus due to greater potency.

Two cats and a dog were found to be positive following PCR tests. Two more cats and another dog displayed antibodies to the virus.

This was up to six weeks after signs of cardiac disease emerged. Owners had also tested positive for COVID.

They developed respiratory symptoms several weeks before their pets became ill.

Ferasin added: "We also reported the atypical clinical manifestations characterized by severe heart abnormalities.

"This 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 our observations, it seems the transmission occurs from humans to pets, rather than vice versa."

The study in the journal Veterinary Record is the first to identify the alpha variant in domestic pets.

In June scientists in the US found household cats are more susceptible to the coronavirus than dogs.

An analysis of around 750 animals found eight percent of cats carried Covid antibodies compared to less than one percent of dogs.

Experts fear pets could become a 'reservoir' for the virus - spreading it back to humans after it has been removed from populations.