After the new coronavirus started to find its place in our lives all around the world, there were records saying that there were also cases in animals: tigers in a New York City Zoo, cats in Hong Kong, and minks in the Netherlands. Right now, scientists are trying to see which species can catch the virus and if they can pass it to people.
As of now, there are two reported cases of animals passing the virus to people – both of them are minks. The chance of getting the disease from an infected animal is not that high in comparison to the risk of catching it from a person, according to researchers.
The virus can spreads to animals without a notice
However, the number of infected people is decreasing, and the restrictions are eased, but infected animals might spark new outbreaks. Right now, researchers are asking for extensive sampling of pets, wildlife, and livestock in order to understand the risk better. The virus could actually be spreading without notice in some animals that we don’t really know about. We just don’t have enough data to find out more.
Scientists are now worrying that the virus could be passed back and forth between animals and people. The situation could escalate quickly, and we won’t be able to control the pandemic. Arjan Stegeman, a veterinary epidemiologist from the Netherlands, stated: We need to take action now to prevent that from happening.”
As of now, there are a dozen animals known to be able to get the virus. There are several species, such as cats and dogs, lions and tigers, and minks that caught the virus from people. This means that all the related felines and canids could also get the virus, but no one really checked. So the question stands: can animals related to these species catch the virus?
