Cats More Likely to Get Infected With COVID-19 Than Dogs, New Study Says

In the current studies of Covid-19 infections, scientists have confirmed that household pets are indeed susceptible to the virus, but should be 'manageable' for pet owners. In a recent study, findings suggest that cats are more likely to get infected with the SARS-CoV-2 than dogs, and here's why:

Blood samples from 239 pet cats and 510 pet dogs collected between mid-April and mid-June of 2020 revealed antibodies that would indicate infection history. Results showed that 8 percent of cats but fewer than 1 percent of dogs had contracted COVID-19 so far, which confirms the hypothesis that pet cats and dogs can indeed host the viruses.

"Because companion animals can be the source of a range of infectious diseases, determining how susceptible the two most popular pet species in the United States are to SARS-CoV-2 - and how prevalent the disease may be among them - could have significant impacts for both human and animal health," says molecular biologist Hinh Ly from the University of Minnesota.

"Part of a Bigger Picture"

It looks like a detailed explanation of why cats might be more susceptible to infection than dogs cannot yet be guaranteed at this time, due to several reasons.

First, although pets can become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the "likelihood of them becoming sick appears to be low".

"I am still a bit surprised that cats are so readily infected and yet rarely exhibit any signs of illness," biomedical researcher Angela Bosco-Lauth from Colorado State University, who wasn't involved in the new study, told the New York Times.

Second, it is also unlikely that these animals can pass the virus to humans, except of course if there is a very close physical contact like when sharing a bed with your pet cats, and cuddling them.

However, scientists are convinced that the ACE2 protein in cats, which is more similar to the human ACE2 protein than the dog equivalent, serves as a "receptor for coronavirus and could be one reason".

Cross-species Transmission of the Virus Among Pets and Their Owners

At this time, it is hard to tell why cats were more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 due to lack of some important factors, such as whether the animals lived mostly outdoors or indoors, or whether there was evidence of transmission between pets. In addition, the team collected the blood serum among pets anonymously which did not provide much insights and factors to weigh.

"The results will help clarify the prevalence of cross-species transmission of this coronavirus among pets and their owners," says molecular virologist Yuying Liang, from the University of Minnesota about the follow-up study they will be covering in the latter months of 2020, when COVID-19 cases in humans in the area was much higher and in its peak.

"That should give us more useful data into just how the SARS-CoV-2 can spread, and how it might be better contained in the future," the team wrote.