Cats are likely to be able to transmit the coronavirus to humans. For example, a veterinarian in Thailand became infected with the virus last year when a positive-tested cat sneezed at her. This is what scientists write in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The cat probably contracted the virus through its two owners. The scientists at Prince of Songkla University found that the cat, its owners and the veterinarian carried the same virus variant. At that time, that variant was not very common.
The example above underscores the need to isolate pets in the event of an infestation, says infectious disease specialist Scott Weese of the University of Guelph. “I think it’s important for us to recognize that the virus can still be exchanged between species.”
