What do we know about COVID-19 and pets?

Because COVID-19 is a new virus, it’s critical for humans to take extra precautions around animals and pets, says veterinarian Annette O’Connor.

That’s because there isn’t yet a wealth of research about the virus.

Since first hearing about the COVID-19 outbreak in China, media outlets around the world have reported on strains of the virus originating in animals, on pets testing positive for the virus, and most recently, on a tiger testing positive for COVID-19 at the Bronx Zoo.

O’Connor, chairperson of the department of large animal clinical sciences and professor of epidemiology at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says that there are seven different types of coronaviruses and that the Centers for Disease Control doesn’t believe the COVID-19 strain can be transmitted to domestic animals.

Information and resources about the coronavirus, COVID-19, and animals are available through the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Here, O’Connor answers common questions related to COVID-19 and pets:

The post What do we know about COVID-19 and pets? appeared first on Futurity.

from Futurity https://ift.tt/2JTBLB9