According to an initial report by Steven Van Gucht, a virologist and spokesperson for the anti-epidemic agency Covid -19 in Belgium, about a week after the cat’s owner determined he had contracted Covid-19 after returning from On a trip to Northern Italy, the cat developed symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and breathing problems.
The cat’s owner then sent samples of vomit and stool to the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Desmecht at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Liège for identification. Tests have shown very high levels of corona virus.
However, according to information from Van Gucht, the cat recovered after 9 days. According to Van Gucht’s report, cats and humans seem to have a similar point on the surface of the respiratory cells that allows SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter.
In humans, SARS-CoV-2 has been found to bind to a receptor protein called ACE2 outside the respiratory cell. Once inside these cells, the virus takes over so it can replicate.
"The cat’s ACE2 protein resembles a human ACE2 analogue, most likely the cell receptor being used by Sars-CoV-2 to invade cells," Van Gucht said.
Further evidence was provided during the 2003 SARS epidemic cats were also infected, Van Gucht explained.
Other pets are believed to have been attacked by a new strain of coronavirus from owners of two dogs in Hong Kong. The first dog was a 17-year-old chipmunk, tested weak positive for the new strain of corona virus in late February. The dog died in mid-March. The exact cause of death is unknown because the owner No autopsy is allowed. The second was a German shepherd dog, tested positive but showed no symptoms of the disease.
There have been no reports of pets transmitting viruses to their owners, and Van Gucht stressed that even a human-to-pet transmission is not a significant way for viruses to spread.
"We think the cat is a secondary victim of the ongoing human disease and does not play an important role in spreading the virus," Van Gucht said.
