Last Updated on by Mitch Rezman
The WHO has Changed its Position on Coronavirus and Pets
2nd pet dog tests positive for COVID-19 coronavirus
Pet cat tests positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong
From the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
“Out of an abundance of caution, it is recommended that those ill with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus”
Find part 1 here
Can the coronavirus infect cats and dogs?
Coronaviruses are not particularly hard to please when it comes to potential hosts — they’ve been detected in many mammal and bird species, including dogs and cats, as well as livestock like cows, chickens and pigs. Read more
Hi,
I think your article on birds catching the covid-19 might be misleading.
Is there evidence of transmission from humans to birds for covid19?
I think it’s highly unlikely.
While these viruses can occasionally jump between distantly related species, it’s not common.
The covid19 is thought to have arisen in bats and recently made the cross-species transmission to humans.
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These events are not common, and when they do happen, it’s between animals that are more closely related in evolutionary (geological – millions of years) timeframes.
While the virus could likely move between people and pigs, dogs, and other more closely related animals, I suspect it would not be compatible with birds – which are effectively ancestors with dinosaurs.
I personally would not worry about my bird catching this.
I might be concerned about my dogs catching it.
Time will tell.
MitchR replies
Firstly we have documentation of bird flu going back to 1848
“Bird flu is similar to swine flu, dog flu, horse flu and human flu as an illness caused by strains of influenza viruses that have adapted to a specific host.
Out of the three types of influenza viruses (A, B, and C), influenza A virus is a zoonotic infection with a natural reservoir almost entirely in birds Avian influenza, for most purposes, refers to the influenza A virus.
Though influenza A is adapted to birds, it can also stably adapt and sustain person-to-person transmission”. Read more:
So there are 3 answers to the question yes, no or maybe, Brian.
Further, if the medical community had a handle on the virus it would not be growing exponentially as I type this which makes “predictions” of any kind is a slippery slope.
Saying no or maybe would be irresponsible in my role as a pet bird advocate.
Can you say with 100% certainty a mosquito absolutely cannot transmit Corvid-19 from human to animal or that Corvid-19 cannot adapt to a different host as other flus have done?
Thus if I’m wrong I’m wrong, but cushioned by an abundance of caution and prudence.
Yes, a dog has caught Covid-19 (in the article below) but here’s the deal-breaker.
There are only 1 species of dog but about 11,000 species of birds occupy mother earth.
Of the 11,000 bird species, we count approximately 750 as pet birds.
So one may make a prediction about zoonotic transmission from a single species (human) to another species (dog) but predicting outcomes for thousands of avian species is a fool’s errand.
Actually bird species react differently to bird flu according to the CDC.
“Wild aquatic birds can be infected with avian influenza A viruses in their intestines and respiratory tract, but usually do not get sick.
However, avian influenza A viruses are very contagious among birds and some of these viruses can sicken and even kill certain domesticated bird species including chickens, ducks, and turkeys.”
Read more: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-in-birds.html
Here’s some veterinary evidence from 10 days ago https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet_column/coronavirus-pets/
“That makes it easy for zoonotic diseases to jump from animals to humans“. from: https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-chinese-wet-market-photos-2020-1
This is from our blog written by Neil Forbes, a veterinarian Why You Need To Know About Zoonotic Avian Infections
Hope that helps
Best
MitchR.
Caroline D. writes:
No, there is only bird disease that we can get and they can catch from us and it isn’t in the United States.
My response
Hi Carolyn
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