Four house pets in the Netherlands have shown traces of the new coronavirus. A dog contracted COVID-19, while three cats tested positive for viral antibodies. The dog is believed to have been infected by its owner.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B. Ozbilici
Advertisement
The Netherlands' National Institute for Health has said the risk of animals infecting humans remained very small, despite four positive tests since last month.
Dutch Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten urged patients with the potentially fatal virus COVID-19 to "avoid contact with their animals" on Friday in a letter to parliament.
"Sick animals belonging to people with COVID-19 should be kept inside as much as possible," said Schouten, adding the chances of cross-species transfer were slim.
Mercy killing for bulldog
The 8-year-old American bulldog appeared to have been infected by its owner who had COVID-19. The dog was put down on April 30 after suffering severe breathing problems.
A blood sample afterwards showed it had developed antibodies to the Sars-CoV-2 virus behind the worldwide pandemic.
In February, a dog in Hong Kong whose owner had the disease, was tested "weakly positive" for the virus.
Schouten wrote that the three cats, also found to have developed antibodies, had lived near one of two mink farms east of Eindhoven, in the southern Brabant area.
These farms were put into quarantine in April after the ferret-like animal was found to be infected — the first such reported case in the Netherlands.
Among humans, the Dutch Noord Brabant province has seen the country's worst coronavirus outbreak.
Rare cases, so far
Other animal coronavirus cases reported around the world include a pet cat in Belgium and a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York.
At the time, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CD) said: "There's no evidence that pets are playing a role in spreading this disease to people.''
Animals could get the virus from people,but there was no sign that animals were transmitting it in the reverse direction to humans, said the CDC's Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh.
Last year, bats in China were identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the likely reservoir of COVID-19 but they left open which intermediate animal was host as the virus spread to humans.
So far, the Netherlands has reported 5,643 human deaths from the novel coronavirus and 43,681 identified cases of infection.
Hands off! What can we touch during the coronavirus outbreak?
If you find yourself suspiciously staring at your pets, your potatoes and even those birthday cards on the mantelpiece, you aren't alone. Coronavirus is seemingly everywhere. What's safe to touch? Here are some answers.
Image: picture-alliance/Kontrolab/IPA/S. Laporta
Contaminated door handles
Current research says the coronavirus family of viruses can survive on some surfaces, like door handles, for an average of four to five days. Like all droplet infections, SARS-CoV-2 can spread via hands and frequently touched surfaces. Although it hasn't previously been seen in humans and therefore hasn't been studied in detail, experts believe it spreads similarly to other known coronaviruses.
A certain degree of caution is called for when eating lunch at your work cafeteria or in a cafe — that is, if they haven't been closed yet. Technically, coronaviruses can contaminate cutlery or crockery if they're coughed on by an infected person. But the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) states that "no infections with SARS-CoV-2 via this transmission route are known to date."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Kalaene
Virus-carrying teddy bears?
Should parents fear a possible infection from imported toys? It's unlikely, say the BfR. As of yet, there are no cases of an infection via imported toys or other goods. Initial laboratory tests show that the pathogens can remain infectious for up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to three days on plastic and stainless steel - especially in high humidity and cold settings.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Gollnow
Packages, letters and shipped goods
A recent study from the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in the US found the novel coronavirus can survive up to 72 hours on stainless steel and up to 24 hours on cardboard surfaces — in an ideal laboratory setting. But because the survival of the virus is dependent on many factors like temperature and humidity, the BfR says getting infected from handling the post is "rather unlikely."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Weller
Can my dog infect me, or can I infect my dog?
Experts consider the risk of pets being infected with the coronavirus to be very low. But they can't yet rule it out. The animals themselves show no symptoms, so they don't become ill. However, if they are infected, it is possible they could transmit coronaviruses via the air or via excretions (their poop).
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/A. Tarantino
Fruit and vegetables: suddenly dangerous?
"Unlikely." According to the BfR, transmitting SARS-CoV-2 via contaminated food is not likely to happen and, so far, there are no proven cases of infection this way. As the viruses are heat-sensitive, heating food during cooking can further reduce the risk of infection. Of course, you should thoroughly wash your hands before cooking and eating — and this goes for anytime, regardless of corona!
Image: picture-alliance/Kontrolab/IPA/S. Laporta
Contaminated frozen food
Although the SARS and MERS coronaviruses known to date don't like heat, they are quite immune to the cold. Research shows they can remain infectious at minus 20 degrees Celsius for up to two years. But the BfR gives frozen food the all-clear. So far, there's no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection via the consumption of any food, including frozen food.
Image: picture-alliance /imageBROKER/J. Tack
But leave those wild animals alone!
The COVID-19 outbreak has prompted many extraordinary measures and China's ban of the consumption of wild animals is no exception. There is compelling research to suggest the novel coronavirus originated in bats before being passed to humans via another intermediate animal. But it's not the animals we need to blame — experts say humans are exposed to these viruses via our interaction with animals.
