A pet sneezes, its nose is runny, and it seems sluggish. Could it be a normal pet illness like a cold – which can be caught by dogs and cats from human owners – or could it be COVID-19
It is a question that has sat uncomfortably on the minds of many pet owners throughout the pandemic and was resurrected again in January when authorities in Hong Kong culled hundreds of hamsters and other small animals following an outbreak of the Delta variant traced to a pet shop and warehouse.
Since the pandemic began, 19 species of animals across 35 countries have contracted COVID-19, ranging from domestic cats and dogs to white-tailed deer and even gorillas, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The hamster outbreak was notable as the second-ever recorded case of animals reinfecting humans with the virus – and the first traced to the international pet trade as the animals were imported from the Netherlands.
In 2020, farmed mink in Denmark were also found to have spread the virus to humans, leading authorities to cull millions of animals, but confirmed cases of COVID-19 being transmitted from animals to humans have been few and far between.
More recently, researchers said in late February that a white-tailed Canada deer may have infected a human, according to another pre-print study, although the case has been difficult to trace.
Scientists say it remains difficult to assess the immediate risk of COVID-19 in animals, and why some animals appear more susceptible than others.
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