About 90.5 million households in the US owned at least one pet, according to a poll done in 2021–2022, and 23 million of those had gotten a pet during the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic.
Owning a pet is linked to a host of advantages for the owner, including better mental health. Despite these benefits, having a pet can raise the risk of spreading zoonotic diseases. Studies on zoonotic disease transmission in animals are still scarce.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a wide spectrum of mammalian hosts, just like all other coronaviruses. As of July 12, 2022, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) documented SARS-CoV-2 illnesses in 35 nations from 14 mammalian groups.
In accordance with how they interact with people, the four groups of COVID-19 sensitive animals have been separated. Exotic animals, wild animals that roam freely, agricultural animals, and companion animals all fall under this category.
With almost 60% of all reported animals infected with SARS-CoV-2 between February 29, 2020, and December 31, 2021, companion animals have been reported to be the second most affected animal group among these.
The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in companion animals, notably dogs and cats, in the United States are examined in a recent paper that was released on the preprint service Research Square.
The latest study proved that it is possible for zoonotic diseases to spread from people to companion animals, particularly dogs and cats. When compared to dogs, cats were more affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. A pet-to-pet transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was also detected.
In addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, these observations can be beneficial for both the animal and public health sectors. To safeguard against COVID-19 and other zoonotic disease concerns in the future, one health partnership methods must be further developed.
